Veteran NHL insider Bob McKenzie believes Mitch Marner will explore free agency before deciding on his next contract, a scenario that could spell trouble for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Speaking during an intermission of Sunday night’s Maple Leafs-Blackhawks game (h/t Hockey Feed), McKenzie stated that he doesn’t expect Marner to sign an extension before the offseason, emphasizing that even if the team were to make an offer, the forward is likely to wait.

In other words, the Maple Leafs are not running point regarding a Marner contract extension.

“I don’t think it will happen, I think he’s much more likely to go to free agency, and I think the Leafs understand that,” McKenzie said.

McKenzie still thinks the Maple Leafs should try to sign Marner

Despite his belief that Marner will test the market, McKenzie noted that if he were the Leafs’ general manager, he would still attempt to re-sign him. He is too important for a player not to do everything in the team’s power to make a contract extension a reality before Marner fields other offers.

Marner’s elite playmaking ability and the sheer demand that will exist for a player like him on the open market means the player is wise to get a baseline for what teams will offer. The Leafs know they can’t replace a player of his caliber and if he comes back to the Leafs with a number being tabled by other clubs, the Leafs have to consider matching it.

Marner has 16 goals and 55 assists for 71 points in 55 games. He just returned from a solid performance for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring an overtime winner and assisting on the championship-clinching goal by Connor McDavid. Teams will come calling.

If Marner hits the open market, the Maple Leafs have to be aware it’s going to cost them a fortune to keep him around. He might be willing to take less in Toronto, but if a team comes to the table with $14 million per season, Marner will likely expect $13 million from the Leafs.

In other Marner news, congratulations go out to Marner and his wife, who revealed that they are pregnant with their first child.