TORONTO -- Mitch Marner answered the question without really answering the question.
The forward stood in front of a blue-and-white backdrop at the Toronto Maple Leafs practice facility Tuesday, their logo everywhere you looked, being asked again if he wanted to remain with his hometown team.
“I’ve always loved my time here,” said Marner, who turned 28 on May 5. “I loved being here … I’ve been so grateful.”
What he didn’t say was, “Yes, I want to be back.”
There’s the rub.
On the day the Maple Leafs packed their equipment and held their final interviews before dispersing for the offseason, the fact that Marner was elusive in revealing his future plans only will further the onslaught of speculation that he is poised to leave the franchise that picked him No. 4 at the 2015 NHL Draft.
On the other hand, fellow forward John Tavares, who, like Marner, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, offered far more clarity regarding his intentions.
“Obviously, I’ve expressed my desire to stay and make it work,” he said.
In Toronto, this easily will be the biggest story until the arrival of free agency, which should provide clarity for both players.
Here’s the difference: Marner appears set to test the market and will determine whether he stays or goes.
Tavares has no such say. In the end, it will be up to Maple Leafs management to decide if they want him back.
The one common thread between the two is how emotionally crushed they still were 36 hours after a season-ending 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday.
“I think, like everyone, I’m saddened, devastated,” Marner said. “I mean, it’s never easy. There’s no words, really, to put it. It’s hard. It gets harder.
“It’s so fresh that I haven’t thought about anything going forward and future-wise. I was hoping to play a hockey game tonight, and that’s not the outcome, so I haven’t thought about anything next. In the coming weeks, I’ll sit down with my wife and start talking and trying to figure out the next step.”
Marner opted not to negotiate with the Maple Leafs during the season, yet another sign he wants to test the market in July. He also refused to waive his no-movement clause when approached by general manager Brad Treliving in March as part of potential trade talks with the Carolina Hurricanes involving forward Mikko Rantanen, who ended up going to the Dallas Stars.
If Marner chooses to test free agency, as the signs seem to be pointing toward, he definitely will be the top prize for bidders around the NHL and likely will command a salary of $13 million per season. Since entering the League in 2016-17, he ranks fifth in assists (520) and eighth in points (741).
“I love him like a brother,” Toronto captain Auston Matthews said. “Obviously the business part of the game, but we’d all like to see him back.”
Tavares, like Marner, grew up in the Toronto area dreaming of being a Maple Leaf. When he left the New York Islanders to sign a seven-year, $77 million contract ($11 million average annual value) on July 1, 2018, he publicly announced his decision by posting a childhood photo on social media of sleeping under Maple Leafs covers.
In his time with Toronto, Tavares has been just under a point-per-game player with 493 points (222 goals, 271 assists) in 515 games. But what this postseason showed is that he may not be the player he once was, even though the 34-year-old remains productive.
With three children under 6 years old, Tavares embraces raising them in the same area where he grew up. Question is, does management feel the same way? What will the cost be to retain him? And will they even want to?
“Obviously my contract is done, but we’re coming up soon for decisions to be made and things like that,” Tavares said. “There’s still a lot of focusing on the season here and the difficulty of not playing today and those sorts of things.”
Tavares did say he had “positive” conversations with Treliving and coach Craig Berube.
“Very optimistic that we can work something out where I’m back, but obviously haven’t put a lot of thought into it as obviously it’s only been a couple of days,” Tavares said.
Berube has. Asked if he’d like to see both Marner and Tavares return, he replied, “100 percent.”
Judging by the vibes Tuesday, that might be a tall task indeed.
