TORONTO - Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving expects star forward Mitch Marner to hit the open market Tuesday unless there's a drastic change in contract negotiations.

Treliving said Thursday in a pre-NHL draft media availability that the Maple Leafs have communicated with Marner, who will become an unrestricted free agent if unsigned by July 1, but added there hasn't been "a whole lot of change."

"Unless there’s a significant change here, I would anticipate that he’s gonna hit the market," Treliving told reporters. "And we’ll see where things go."

The Maple Leafs can still sign Marner after free agency opens, but lose the right to offer him an eight-year contract. NHL teams can sign players to a maximum of seven years on the open market.

Marner is coming off a career-best 102-point season, the last of a six-year, US$65.4 million contract.

The 28-year-old from Markham, Ont., joined his boyhood team as the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft and has since totalled 221 goals and 520 assists in 657 games over nine seasons in Toronto.

Marner, however, has taken the brunt of the Toronto fan base's frustration at the team's repeated playoff disappointments.

The Maple Leafs have reached the post-season in nine consecutive years but only advanced past the first round twice, falling in the second round to the Florida Panthers on both occasions.

 


Tavares talks continue

Treliving also said the Maple Leafs have had "positive" communication with fellow pending UFA John Tavares, with both sides hoping to keep the veteran centre in Toronto.

"We both expressed a shared outcome, which is John wants to stay and we want to keep John," Treliving said. "Like any contract, there are usually just two little stumbling blocks — term and money. Once you get by those, usually things flow pretty quick. 

"We’re moving, hopefully in a direction that we’re gonna get to closure. My hope is until proven otherwise that we’ll have a good outcome there.”

The 34-year-old Tavares put up 38 goals and 36 assists in 75 games last season.

Tavares signed a seven-year, $77-million contract to join the Maple Leafs via free agency from the New York Islanders on July 1, 2018.

 

Treliving downplays pressure to get Knies signed

Treliving also expressed confidence in reaching an agreement with pending restricted free agent Matthew Knies, but downplayed the urgency.

"Not the same deadline necessarily (as Tavares)," he said. "We’re very hopeful that we can get to a good conclusion. When that is, time will tell.”

The 22-year-old winger broke out with 29 goals and 29 assists in 78 games this season and will command a hefty raise when his entry-level deal expires Tuesday.

Treliving doesn't anticipate Knies will accept an offer sheet from another team, but said Toronto needs to be prepared.

"It goes without saying, Matthew is going to make more than what he’s making now on his next contract, and you also want to protect yourself moving into the summer past July 1," he said. “I’m sure the next question is going to be (about) an offer sheet — that’s not anything you can operate in fear with, but you have to do proper business."

Treliving said in his season-ending media availability last month that the Maple Leafs needed to change their "DNA" following a seven-game loss to the eventual Cup champion Panthers.

Toronto finished the regular season in first place in the Atlantic Division and defeated the Ottawa Senators in the first round before taking a 2-0 series lead over the Panthers.

Florida then rallied back and handed the Maple Leafs two painful 6-1 losses on home ice in Games 5 and 7.

Changes have already started in Toronto, with the team declining to renew the contract of president Brendan Shanahan after 11 seasons.

In addition to Marner and Tavares, forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz and defenceman Dakota Mermis are also impending UFAs.

Forwards Nicholas Robertson and Pontus Holmberg are set for restricted free agency.

Treliving said he's been in touch with all his pending free agents, with positive communication on Knies.

As for Robertson, who requested a trade last July and saw limited playing time in the playoffs, Treliving said he continues to see value in the player.

"He’s still a young player (23). He’s still an evolving player," Treliving said. "… He shoots it in the net and that’s a good skill-set to have. We’ll see how it all plays out. We’re early days here"