Marner also told Friedman that his focus is on helping the Maple Leafs succeed on the ice, leaving those in-season contract talks to his agent Darren Ferris and Leafs general mana

Marner is entering the final year of a six-year, $65.408 million deal he signed back in Sept. 2019. He's been eligible to sign an extension with the Maple Leafs since July 1, but

Marner's regular-season performances make him worthy of being a lifetime Leaf. But the team should see playoff success before committing.