TSN: Darren Dreger talks to Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving and asks him about pending UFA ahead Mitch Marner.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Dreger: “As you already know, it is a very passionate market, proper? I imply, I’m intrigued at occasions by a few of the commerce hypothesis round sure gamers. And you already know, Mitch Marner’s of Toronto Maple Leaf actually has been within the crosshairs of that over the past couple of years.
It wouldn’t make sense to commerce him in-season, proper? However what does he want to point out? What does the staff want to point out? What does the core want to point out? Or possibly one of the best ways to reply that is, why is a significant contract negotiation like that for a participant of that significance so troublesome?”
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Treliving: “Nicely, any contract, any and each contract is, has, has its personal life, proper, whatever the sum of money. You understand, it took us some time to get Nick Robertson signed this summer time.
Hear, Mitch Marner is a star on this league. And to your query, what does he must do? He simply needs to be himself. I’ve, I’m, you already know, I’ve been right here a yr. I feel in each market, there’s gamers that possibly get extra scrutinized than others. Mitch does right here.
He’s a terrific participant, like he’s a star within the league. And our failings or us falling quick final yr, I can’t communicate to the earlier years I wasn’t right here, however I can communicate to final yr. That doesn’t lie simply solely on Mitch his shoulders. You understand, Mitch had come by way of a excessive ankle sprain on the finish of the yr. Once more, he’d be the primary to, he’s not utilizing that as an excuse, however we want Mitch simply to be Mitch. He doesn’t must do something greater than that. This man’s a terrific participant.
There’s only a few gamers within the league that may produce the offense that he does. Kill penalties. Be within the Selke Trophy dialog. I simply. I’m an enormous fan. And we’ll deal with the enterprise facet quietly and away from, away from the highlight, and hopefully after we get one thing to report, we’ll report it.
However I do know Mitch is targeted, and our focus proper now’s simply to get the yr began. Get off to an excellent begin and be the participant that I do know he might be. And, and we rely closely on him. Any staff would. He’s, he’s, he’s only a like I mentioned, he’s a star within the league, and he’s had an ideal summer time, he’s refreshed, and I’m trying ahead to seeing him and the remainder of the group come Wednesday.”
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Dreger: “So simply go away it ongoing discussions. Simply go away it there.”
Treliving: “We’ll simply go away it at that.”