Tracking Mitch Marners career From 2015 fourth-overall pick to 65 million man
The main event of the NHL's offseason finally arrivedFriday just as the league's 31 teams returned to the ice for training camparound North America when Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner signed a six-year, $65.358millioncontract, an annual average value of $10.893 million. Marner now stands as Toronto's third highest paid player after the completion of a deal long in the making. According to , the Maple Leafs have enlisted three of the league's seven highest-paid players in itssearch for the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 1967. The negotiation proce s was neitherquick nor easy for Craig Janney Jersey either camp. It was filled with rumorsthat another team wouldoffer sheet Marner, or that Marner would play in Switzerland until hissituation was resolved. Here is the story of Mitch Marner's career thus far: how the fourth-overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft earnedthe second-largest contract ofany activewingerat just age 22, and how his contract may affect the team moving forward. Mitch Marner's career timeline, from prospectto NHLstar June 26, 2015 The Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2015 NHL Draft. In four years since, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, 2015'sfirst and second overall selections. July 28, 2015 with the Maple Leafs just over one month after he was drafted, giving him a clear shot to make the NHL as early as that fall. Marner's entry-level salary cap hit is under $1 million. Sept.27, 2015 Marner is ahead of the 2015-16 NHL season and rea signed to his junior team, the London Knights, in the Ontario Hockey League. Because he did not play at least 10games in the NHL that season, , extending through the 2018-19 season. April 2016 Marner tears up the OHL,scoring 39 goals and 77 a sists in 56 games played. and second in points per game. , capping off a fantastic final season of junior hockey i , the Canadian Hockey League's championship. Mitch Marner Hockey Highlights (@BestHockeyClips) Oct.12, 2016 Marner makes his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs alongside fellow rookie (and 2016 first-overall pick) Auston Matthews. This game is perhaps better remembered as to introduce himself to the NHL. Oct.15, 2016 Marner scores his first NHL goal as part of a 4-1 Maple Leafs win over the Boston Bruins. Mitch Marner is an NHL goal-scorer. And boy can he ever celebrate. NHL (@NHL) 2016-17 season Marner scores 61 points (19 goals, 42 a sists) in his first NHL season and helps the Leafs make the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Toronto is eliminated by the Washington Capitals in round one andMarner scores one goal and three a sists in the series to end his rookie year. Yo, it's Mitch Marner. Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) The 19-year-old finishes fifth in Calder Memorial Trophy voting for the league's rookie of the year. Leafs teammate Auston Matthews claims the award. 2017-18 season Marner leads the Maple Leafs in scoring with 69 points (22 goals, 47 a sists) in his secondseason. Neither he nor Matthews succumb to the sophomore slump (Matthews scores 61 points) and the Leafs form a formidable young triumvirate between the two and youngster Willian Nylander. On March 28, 2018, . Nylander's contract expires first, and reporter Michael Traikos estimates him to sign a similar contract to Boston's David Pastrnak (eight years, $40 million). As for Marner and Matthews? Traikos writes that there is no reason Marner should not demand the same amount of money as Matthews should he continue to produce at the same level. The Leafs meet Macklin Celebrini Jersey the Boston Bruins in the playoffs' first round and it's Marner who leads the team, scoring nine points in a seven-game series that Toronto eventually loses to its Atlantic Division rival. Marner's nine points are four more than any other Leafs skater in that series and he noticeably performs better than Matthews, who manages only one goal and one a sist. July 1, 2018 The Maple Leafs sign John Tavares to a seven-year, $77 million contract. The deal immediately makes Toronto one of the league's most dangerous teams, Carl Grundstrom Jersey but raises questions as to how general manager Kyle Dubas will be able to keep his core together as Nylander's contract expires and Marner and Matthews enter the final year of their entry-level deals. . GM Kyle Dubas was asked if signing John Tavares impacts their approach to extension talks with Matthews, Marner & Nylander. Hear the full interview here: OverDrive (@OverDrive1050) 2018-19 season Marner ups the ante in his third NHL season by scoring 94 points, the most of any Maple Leafs skater, and finishes 11th in total scoring among all NHL players. Dec. 1, 2018 just before the deadline of when unsigned RFAs can still sign and play in the league that season. Feb. 5, 2019 , giving the young star $11.634 million per year through the 2023-24 season and making him the team's highest-paid player. For Marner's camp, it's a signal that it's time to get serious with the Leafs about his next contract, and they don't appear willing to play nice. Man, Mitch Marner's camp is not pulling any punches whatsoever - his agent just called out Matthews' contract as not being team-friendly, and said the Leafs are lowballing his client Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) In the aftermath of Matthews' signing, between what the Leafs want to pay Marner and what Marner's camp wants. May 28, 2019 TSN's Darren Dregerreportsthat Marner's camp , which would officially make Marner a restricted free agent and allow other teams to offer contracts to him via an offer sheet. Dreger expects the Leafs to make an "aggre sive offer" to Marner. June 2019 Dubas tells reporters in the days before the NHL Draft that . During the draft, for RFAs Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnson, leaving the team with roughly $8 million in cap space to sign Marner. It is also rumored that Toronto is and defenseman Nikita Zaitsev in trade talks. July 1, 2019 Marner officially becomes a restricted free agent. in exchange for a package includingdefenseman Tyson Barrie, whose $2.75 million cap hit le sens the burden on Toronto's salary cap situation. , trading Zaitsev along with two others in return for a package including defenseman Cody Ceci. The main pieces of the deal share an identical $4.5 million cap hit, but Ceci is only signed through the 2019-20 season while Zaitsev has five years remaining on his contract, opening up money for Dubas down the road. July 12, 2019 The Columbus Blue Jackets, among other teams, are . July 18, 2019 Marner with the Leafs in an interview with TSN. He reveals little else about negotiations save for momentarily answering "Yep," to a question on whether or not a new contract may be imminent. Mitch Marner gives the latest update on his contract negotiations - including if an offer sheet is an option - and speaks about the 2nd Annual Marner All-Star Invitational Charity ( ). TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 23, 2019 in exchange for David Clarkson, who the Leafs originally signed to a seven-year, $36.75 million contract in 2013. Reacquiring Clarkson's contract actually helpsToronto save some Tony Granato Jersey money to sign Marner they were able to put theforward on long-term injured reserve and save his $5.5 million once the season begins (a spine injury effectively ended Clarkson's playing career.) August 7, 2019 The Maple Leafs that would fall between $9 million and $11 million per season depending on the length of the deal. It is also reported that Marner that would have paid him $10 million each season Filip Bystedt Jersey . August 22, 2019 Sportsnet 650's Rick Dhaliwal , a Swi sprofe sional team, about playing for the team in Europe until his NHL contract situation is resolved. Reports are accurate the Marner camp has had discu sions with Zurich. Wouldnt be surprised to see him go there to train in early Sept. Dubas and Ferris met last week. Positive talks, but no progre s. Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) Former Maple Leaf and two-time Stanley Cup championDave Bolland raises eyebrows on Twitterwhen he . I think Marner has been their best player," in an interview. "I know Matthews is a goal scorer,he puts up goals; but I think as an all-around player, I see Marner as like a Jonathan Toews. Toews was our go-to guy in Chicago, wed have him out there for power play, penalty kill. He was the guy when things were going down, and I kind of see Marner in that same type of position." Sept.11, 2019 It is reported that the Maple Leafs , but Marner's camp took i sue with the fact that it's still le s money than Matthews makes. TOR has made seven and eight year offers in the $11M AAV universe but because its a lower AAV and longer term than Auston Matthews, it hasnt been palatable to Marner. Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) Sept.13, 2019 Marner finally ends the offseason's most thrilling contract saga as the league opens up training camps, that makes his annual cap hit $10.893 per season. The 22-year-old, who is about to start making a lot of money, tweets that he's "exactly where [he] wants to be." Im exactly where I want to be, in front of the greatest hockey fans in the world, proudly continuing the tradition with the . See you soon. Mitchell Marner (@Marner93)