Mitch Marner is having quite a year for the Maple Leafs, and reports are coming in that he has just rejected a massive contract offer from the team. The Toronto Maple Leafs made pivotal contract decisions involving Auston Matthews and William Nylander last year. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/pierre-lebrun-believes-mitch-marner-expects-to-be-paid-more-than-auston-matthews-on-his-next-contract' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Now, they're faced with another critical decision</a>. With this is star forward Mitch Marner, who has exploded off a scorching start this season. With 10 goals and 41 points through his first 31 games played, <a href='https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/player/mitch-marner-8478483' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Mitch Marner</a> is indeed on pace to eclipse 100 points for the very first time in his NHL career, surpassing a high of 99 scored earlier in his career. It initially appeared likely that Marner would push for a return to Toronto, but his excellent performance this season has flipped the script on the situation, setting him up for a massive payday when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/TheAthleticTO/status/1867225411798876242'> </a></blockquote></div> The change in leverage has complicated negotiations for the Leafs. According to JD Bunkis, <a href='https://www.mapleleafsdaily.com/nhl-team/toronto-maple-leafs/mitch-marner-reportedly-turns-down-maple-leafs-latest-offer#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20new%20report,down%20quickly%20by%20his%20camp.' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Marner recently rejected the team's latest contract offer</a>. My understanding of what has happened with Marner is that, actually now, they have tried to extend him a number, and he's the one, and his camp are the ones, that are actually saying 'yeah, we're actually going to wait on this thing and see how it goes. We might want to be the ones that hit free agency.' - JD Bunkis At $10.9 million annually, Marner is paid like an elite player, but not one in the absolute top echelon of the NHL. That story might change dramatically if he reaches 100 points this season. At 28 and entering the prime of his career, Marner is positioned for a potential bidding war to drive his next contract far higher. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OverDrive1050/status/1869164446893146435'> </a></blockquote></div> If the Leafs fail to secure his signature before the offseason, there's a real possibility he could be donning a different jersey next year.