The Mitch Marner summer saga has now continued partway through September and doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie of TSN both took to Twitter to explain the situation this morning, with the latter confirming that the team made seven and eight year offers in the “$11MM AAV universe” but Marner’s camp refused them because of a comparison to Auston Matthews. Matthews of course signed for five years at an $11.634MM cap hit during the season.
The player’s camp is focused on a three-year deal with a high salary in the third season, a contract blueprint made popular by Timo Meier earlier this summer. The high salary in the third year guarantees a big qualifying offer that can take the player right into unrestricted free agency if they so choose. With the Maple Leafs opening camp this week, it certainly seems like Marner will not be there to take part in the early sessions.
- Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes that the NHL and NHLPA are meeting for the third consecutive day as they continue to try and work out what will happen with the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The players have until Sunday to decide whether they want to exercise their clause to reopen the CBA for negotiation, which would effectively opt-out of the agreement after the 2019-20 season. If not, the deal would run until September 2022, giving the two sides plenty of time to work out an extension or new agreement.
- Peter Chiarelli hasn’t landed a new GM job, but will be working in a front office this season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the former Edmonton Oilers executive will serve as a consultant for the St. Louis Blues. Chiarelli has worked as a GM for both Edmonton and the Boston Bruins, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011.
Any player that is insisting on a 3-year deal doesn’t really want to be with the team long-term. They just want to get paid (or overpaid) *right now.* Seems like this is going to be a “hired gun” mentality with some players in the years to come. That, or they want to gamble on the cap doubling in the next few years, so these stink-fests can become a thing of the past. The Pot-O-Gold that will come from the bet-mongers could end up being flash-in-the-pan if games keep getting crap-called by officials. They won’t be keen to pay out on a product that looks corrupt. (Bettman, are you listening?)
Not necessarily. You take more money for less time now based on current stats. If after 3-years Marner improves and by then the new CBA will be in place, he can look at even more! Mitch is my fav leaf, he doesn’t fit any hockey mold and yet he has incredible hockey sense! I get the “centers get paid for goals” and he’s a winger…but how many times has he proven he matters as much or more with some of those rediculous looks and passes he gives to Matthews and Tavares!
Marner is always where the puck is and is gonna be…for that he should be PAID!
Jablow,
You cares about 3 years it’s about winning now and getting what he deserves! Best player on the team period. Don’t sign for anything less then what Matthews gets a year !12 per minimum!