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Mitch Marner is considering a two-year contract (to sign for a higher price afterwards)
Félix Forget
Mitch Marner is considering a two-year contract (to sign for a higher price afterwards)
Credit: Getty Images
In less than 10 days, Mitch Marner will officially become a free agent. He’ll be the biggest name to hit the market in several years, and one wonders where he’ll continue his career.

A return to Toronto seems more than unlikely, after all.

For a while, we expected to see him sign a seven-year deal (the maximum) with his new team… but more and more, the idea of a shorter pact is circulating. Seeing him sign for four years, for example, has been one scenario mooted.

Now, in a piece for The Athletic, Pierre LeBrun talks about another scenario Marner is considering right now: signing a two-year deal at $12-13 million a year.

The reason? He would become a free agent again in two years’ time, when the salary cap will have risen considerably. This would give him a much better chance of hitting the jackpot.

In Toronto, Marner has often been criticized for being on the money. Let’s not forget that in 2019, it was very complicated to manage his contract… and that it was settled shortly before the start of the season.

The file had dragged on and on… and Marner hadn’t left a single penny on the table.

So, for two years, Marner could go and play somewhere he didn’t necessarily intend to settle down for the long term. His priority would then be the summer of 2027, when the cap would be around $113.5 million and he could break the bank.

Some teams will have a lot of money to spend.

The big risk, though, is a possible drop in production (he won’t necessarily be playing with an Auston Matthews, after all) or an injury, which could lower his value. That said, with a two-year pact, Marner gives himself some wiggle room in case he gets injured next season, for example.

And perhaps a two-year contract instead of seven would allow other teams to enter the fray for his services this summer… including teams that might be at the top of his list, for example.


In Overtime

– T.J. Brodie went unclaimed in the waivers. His contract will be bought out by the Blackhawks.

– Nick Perbix will become a free agent on July 1. He could be a target for the Habs.

– Today’s news from CF Montreal.

– Jonathan Toews is happy to be in Winnipeg.

– It’s still the talk of the town.

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