The future of Auston Matthews’ key teammate Mitch Marner remains uncertain in Toronto, and the Los Angeles Kings have emerged as a franchise ready to pounce ahead of the 2025–26 NHL season.

Marner seemed OK with all of that in the early days of his Leafs career. He earned rave reviews from the Boston Bruins after his second playoff series in 2018, when he shined with nine points in a seven-game loss. He piled up 94 points, the most by a Leaf in more than 20 years, as a 21-year-old a season later.

Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs remains unresolved, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes both sides are facing a pivotal offseason that could lead to separation.