An NHL insider has provided a concerning update on Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs. According to TSN's Chris Johnston, while the Leafs intend to retain their core four players, including Marner, it's likely this will be his final year in Toronto. The team is expected to let him walk in free agency. <q>It's probably slightly more likely he walks than signs an extension but not significantly so. If we were setting the betting lines now, the favorite would be walks as a free agent.</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHL_Watcher/status/1810457006559367615'> </a></blockquote></div> <h3>Toronto Maple Leafs expected to part ways with Mitch Marner</h3> The Leafs recently signed Nylander to an 8-year contract worth $11.5 million per year, and Tavares has expressed a desire to remain in Toronto long-term. With Matthews already earning a significant salary, there's simply no room under the salary cap to keep Marner. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OGTreliever/status/1810649470733861376'> </a></blockquote></div> <q>Mitch Marner is going to spend the next 8 months talking about how much he loves Toronto and being a Leaf. He's also not going to negotiate in good faith, villainize the front office before going to free agency and using Dreger to hype him as the biggest free agent of all-time.</q> As much as Leafs fans want Marner signed long-term, the reality is the team can't afford him. To avoid losing him for nothing, the Leafs should consider trading him by the deadline. Other teams would pay a high price for Marner, and the Leafs need to capitalize on that. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OGTreliever/status/1810658157749731810'> </a></blockquote></div> Source: Puck Reporter <a href='https://www.puckreporter.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/fans-furious-after-insider-reveals-mitch-marner-plan-for-next-summer' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Fans furious after insider reveals Marner's plan for next summer</a>