Back in Toronto, the Maple Leafs, Mitch Marner fell prey to a bias. While the team handed Auston Matthews a bonus, Marner’s plate was empty. A decade later, his agent, Darren Ferris, revived the grievance while a sports columnist for the Toronto Sun shared his take. 

Ferris claimed that Toronto declined to give Marner bonuses, even after assuring his camp that future rookies would be treated the same way. However, the next year, Auston Matthews received a $2.85 million deal. 

“Ten years ago, the Maple Leafs gave a rookie signing bonus to Auston Matthews, but not to Mitch Marner,” wrote Steve Simmons. “That one, after all these years, still stings.”

Simmons’ take on Marner's Toronto past came alive again after Gavin McKenna’s deal came forward. 

Toronto wasted little time signing first-overall pick Gavin McKenna to a three-year, $3.225 million entry-level contract with a $1.075 million cap hit. His deal includes the maximum performance bonuses permitted under the current CBA, a significant difference from Marner's rookie contract in 2015.

Before Simmons, Marner’s agent broke silence on the PuckPedia Hockey Show on July 22.

"He really bled for that team," Ferris said. "He was never protected by his organization, in my opinion."

The debate has lingered for more than a decade because of what Marner brought to the Maple Leafs. At the time, he led the team in playoff scoring, and his 63 postseason points (13 goals, 50 assists) still rank fifth in franchise history.

While the debate continues, Marner’s agent clarified another big debate surrounding the right winger. 

Ferris clears the air on Marner's Golden Knights switch

There have been claims that Marner had already decided on his move to the Vegas Golden Knights. Many critics hinted that the Golden Knights tampered with him out of Toronto. 

“The rumors that he always wanted to go there are not true,” Ferris said on the PuckPedia Hockey Show on July 22. “Everyone said, ‘Oh, they were shopping for a house in Vegas.’ Well, that’s not true. When guys are in different towns, they look around. They’re always looking at different places they go to.”

In the process, Marner’s agent appreciated how the new team welcomed Marner and his family. The move paid off right away, as Marner reached the Stanley Cup Final in his first season with Vegas after joining the team in a 2025 sign-and-trade.

Marner came up big in the playoffs, helping Brett Howden score the overtime winner in Game 5 and netting the series-clinching goal in Game 6.

After McKenna's contract reopened old wounds, can Marner put the past behind him and deliver another strong season in Vegas? Let us know in the comments. 

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Soheli Tarafdar

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar