Mitch Marner wants to stick with the Maple Leafs for the long haul despite speculation that he could be the odd man out if Toronto elected to break up its core.
"I've expressed my love for this place, this city," Marner said Monday. "Obviously, I grew up here. We'll start thinking about that now and try to figure something out."
The Thornhill, Ontario, product received heavy scrutiny from Leafs fans after managing just a goal and two assists in the seven-game Round 1 loss to the Boston Bruins. It's the seventh time in eight years with largely the same core that Toronto failed to advance past the first round.
Marner gave a simple response when asked why he thinks the Leafs' core should remain together.
"Because we're great players," he said.
He added: "Challenges build adversity, and we've been through a lot of that, and it's only going to make us better."
Each member of Toronto's Core Four has a full no-movement clause.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander both inked long-term extensions within the past year. They were arguably Toronto's best performers in Round 1 despite both missing time.
"In my time here, I've learned that there's always a scapegoat, there's always a narrative, there's always something," Matthews said. "We love Mitchy. He's a great teammate, he's a great friend, and a competitor."
Marner is entering the final season of a six-year, $65.4-million contract he signed 2019. His $10.9-million cap hit was the ninth-highest among NHL players in 2023-24.
John Tavares is also entering the final year of his deal, but he'll be 34 years old next season, and his production has declined.
Marner, though, is 27 years old and tallied 85 points in 69 games this past season. He finished third in Selke Trophy voting in 2022-23 and 13th in Hart Trophy voting after a 99-point campaign.
"I think he's an amazing human and a great hockey player," defenseman Morgan Rielly said. "So any heat or anything like that, I believe would be undeserved."
Both Marner and Tavares are eligible to sign extensions July 1.
