Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving knows he can't make a rash decision regarding star forward Mitch Marner despite constant talk about the player's future.
"I'd caution us to not pay too much attention to some of the noise," Treliving told reporters, according to TSN's Chris Johnston. "We can't react to all of the noise. ... Mitch knows how I feel about him as a player."
Marner has been involved in rampant rumors since the Maple Leafs' first-round exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins. After years of unwavering support, president Brendan Shanahan said the team will "look at everything this summer and consider everything this summer" at Toronto's year-end press conference.
The 27-year-old is eligible for a contract extension on July 1 and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
Marner struggled to produce in the first round after accumulating 85 points in 69 regular-season contests. He managed only one goal and three points in the seven-game series.
Treliving admitted there is "a lot of work to do this summer," according to Johnston. In addition to Marner's undetermined future, Toronto has notable free agents in Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi as well as significant question marks on defense and in the crease.
Talks with the team's free-agent defensemen are ongoing, Treliving said, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. That group includes veterans TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano, plus trade-deadline pickups Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin.
Treliving noted the Maple Leafs are likely to keep the 23rd overall pick in this week's draft, according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke.
The first round of the draft is Friday in Las Vegas, while unrestricted free agency opens on Monday.
