Team President Brendan Shanahan tight-lipped on status of Mitch Marner's Maple Leafs contract extension

Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan declined to comment on star forward Mitch Marner's contract situation. Marner's six-year, $65 million contract is set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season, at which point he will become an unrestricted free agent.

“I’ve learned not to comment on that type of stuff, other than to say he’s playing great hockey. He’s been a great player for us for a long time," Shanahan said as per TSN.

"Anytime you have a guy who is that creative offensively and also one of the best defensive players—not just on your team, but in the league—I’m not surprised by how he’s playing. We’re just happy with the way he’s playing, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Marner has recorded 10 goals and 28 assists, resulting in 38 points in total, which is fifth most in the NHL.

With Auston Matthews signed to a four-year, $53 million contract last year and William Nylander to an eight-year, $92 million deal in January, the team will have a big decision to make regarding Marner's future.

NHL analyst Craig Button's take on Mitch Marner's contract extension

NHL analyst Craig Button discussed Mitch Marner's contract situation with the Toronto Maple Leafs on TSN's "That's Hockey" last week. Button made it clear he believes Marner is a pivotal player that the team cannot afford to lose.

“Mitch Marner is Irreplaceable, so whether it be now or the next week or the next month you're just simply not going to replace what Mitch Marner brings to your team. So you talk about fifth in the league and scoring what he's done over the last 17 games from the time he entered the league in 2016,” Button stated.

Button highlighted Marner's impressive production and achievements over his nine NHL seasons and stressed the importance of retaining the 27-year-old.

"Mitch Marner is a great player, he's a superstar in this league and as the team gets stronger around him your chances of winning with Mitch Marner are way better than without him."

Discussing potential contract values, Button predicted Marner's next deal will be above $12M AAV. He referenced players with comparable deals such as Artemi Panarin ($11.6M AAV), David Pastrnak ($11.25M AAV) and William Nylander ($11.5M AAV), arguing that Marner is better than all three.