"That's the clear line of demarcation" - NHL insider drops major hint on Maple Leafs' offer for Mitch Marner's new contract

Mitch Marner’s contract talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs are gaining attention as his current deal nears its end. Marner is playing in the final year of his $65.4 million contract with a $10.9 million cap hit. It was signed with the Maple Leafs on September 13, 2019.

During Thursday's episode of the "OverDrive" podcast, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said that the Leafs are willing to offer up to $13 million per year to Marner.

"It really comes down to this: I don't think the Leafs feel that they can or will pay more than $13M (AAV), maybe $12.5 million," Lebrun said (19:35). "Is that good enough for Marner? In an eight-year deal. Eight here and seven in the open market. I think that's the clear line of demarcation, $13 million a year."

The offer would likely be for an eight-year deal, providing long-term stability.

Marner has been key for the Leafs this season, scoring 14 goals and adding 45 assists in 43 games. His 45 assists rank second and his 59 points rank fourth in the NHL leaderboard.

Toronto has a 27-14-2 record, leading the Atlantic Division. Marner’s playmaking has played a huge role in their success. In the Maple Leafs' 27 wins, he scored 11 goals and added 34 assists.

With 698 points in 619 career games, Marner remains a core player alongside John Tavares, William Nylander and captain Auston Matthews. The question is whether $13 million will secure his future in Toronto.

Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs lost to the Hurricanes

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. Nicholas Robertson scored at 1:59, giving Toronto a 1-0 lead. William Nylander made it 2-0 with a solo effort at 7:29; however, it all went downhill from that point onwards.

“We had breakdowns in our zone,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said after the game, per NHL.com, “I thought we left the slot open too much tonight. I thought we spent too much time in our zone in general. It kind of got away from us.”

Carolina tied it quickly with Eric Robinson’s rebound goal at 13:58 and Jordan Staal’s net-front goal at 14:15. Staal scored short-handed early in the second period, making it 3-2 for Carolina before Auston Matthews tied the game 3-3 with a power-play goal at 1:11.

Jackson Blake scored at 16:57, giving Carolina a 4-3 lead. Staal completed his hat trick early in the third period, making it 5-3 and Seth Jarvis added an empty-net goal with 3:37 left.

Pyotr Kochetkov made 30 saves for Carolina, including key stops on John Tavares and Nylander.