NHL Insider Pierre Lebrun Confident Mitch Marner Will Sign Extension with the Maple Leafs, Reveals Timeline

A lot of speculation and chatter has surrounded the future of Mitch Marner with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Some believe that he'll get a monstrous contract, and others are thinking of trading the dynamic forward in a blockbuster deal.

Though it'll be hard for Toronto to keep Marner come free agency, some believe that if he signs now it'll be cheaper for the Leafs compared to July 1.

NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun also believes that not only will signing Marner now be cheaper, but that the team will get it done before the playoffs.

It would be a huge coup for Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs to lock up Marner before the playoffs as not only will it not be a distraction to either party come April, but it gives Toronto more of a window to win while they have their core intact.

The only issue would be the internal cap that Toronto seems to want to keep for Auston Matthews and not pay over the $13.2M that he gets, however if the team wants precedent they need to look west as Edmonton is paying Leon Draisaitl more than Connor McDavid; arguably the world's greatest.

Since being drafted 4th overall, Marner has been as advertised. With 675 points in 601 games, it's undeniable how good he's been for the Leafs, and with a blistering 36 points in 25 games already, he's on pace to smash his career high of 99 points and finally hit the century mark for the first time.

If Toronto wanted to make sure they kept their best team possible going forward, they should look to get rid of some of their more bloated deals and use that money to lock up Marner for good.

If not, Toronto is going to lose out on a player that has been as crucial if not more than their captain for success.