The Toronto Maple Leafs held a press conference on Wednesday morning to officially name Auston Matthews captain, taking over for John Tavares, who was fully supportive of the decision.
Among those in attendance on Wednesday were former Maple Leafs captains Doug Gilmour and Wendel Clark, as well as current members of the roster, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner, the latter of whom has been subject to trade rumours throughout the summer.
After the press conference, Marner met with the media and was asked about his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he declined to discuss the topic, saying that he's fortunate to be a member of the organization and that today is about 'two amazing people' in Auston Matthews and John Tavares.
Marner, 27, has been with the Maple Leafs for his entire career in the National Hockey League and is set to enter the final year of his contract. He became eligible to sign an extension with the Maple Leafs back in July, but nothing has materialized on that front and his name has circulated in trade rumours ever since.
With Marner set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, it'll be interesting to see if there will be any talks regarding a contract extension in the coming weeks, that way they can get it done and over with before the season begins to avoid any distractions. If they're unable to get a deal done, there's no doubt trade rumours will begin to pick back up again.
Source: TSN
Marner on Maple Leafs future: 'I'm just going to say I love being here'
POLL | ||
Do you think Mitch Marner will sign an extension with the Maple Leafs? | ||
Yes | 50 | 41.3 % |
No, he'll leave next summer as a free agent | 71 | 58.7 % |
List of polls |