Marner has consistently been one of, if not the most scrutinized player on the Toronto Maple Leafs. This season was especially tough as Marner had his worst playoffs performance of his career, leading to him being ostracized by many fans of the team. This has lead to speculation that the team could look to move him this summer, especially since he only has one year left on his contract. Stories have cropped up around the league linking him to all kinds of teams.
That being said, the Leafs might be negotiating from a point of weakness. Everyone knows Marner is a terrific hockey player. He's arguably a top-ten player in the league, at least when it comes to the regular season. However, doubts have been raised about his drive and desire to actually win given his perceived effort level at times in the biggest games of his career.
As a result, many fanbases have preemptively suggested that their teams stay away from trading for Marner. A subset of fans can be found in just about every fanbase around the league who would rather see the Leafs winger play elsewhere because of his flaws.
With this being the case, the Leafs potentially are in a position to lose a Marner trade. Will that be enough to convince the team not to pull the trigger? At this point it is hard to say. After all, the Leafs do need to make some serious changes this offseason.
