Marner on playing for the Maple Leafs: 'I love being here'

Despite an offseason filled with drama and questions about his future, Mitch Marner remains happy where he is.

“I love being here, I’ve said that since day one,” the Toronto Maple Leafs forward said Wednesday. “I’m very fortunate to be a Maple Leaf.”

Marner’s future with his hometown club has been a hot topic this summer. The 27-year-old is entering the final year of his contract, but the team may not have the cap space to pay him what he wants. That’s largely due to the extensions given to Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly.

Marner’s role with the team also came under scrutiny after the seven-game first-round loss to the Boston Bruins this spring. Marner had 26 goals and 85 points in 69 games last season, but the Bruins held him to just one goal and two assists in the series.

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However, one person is coming to Marner’s defense.

Former teammate Zach Bogosian said in an interview this week that he feels the criticism Marner faces is unfair.

“I don’t understand why everybody is always on guard about everything. I mean, this kid is such a good kid,” Bogosian told the site Cam and Strick podcast. “He’s a good leader, he always tries to take care of everyone in the locker room.

“I’ve played with a lot of guys, he’s as good a person and teammate as I’ve ever seen.”

Regardless of the drama, Marner controls his own destiny thanks to a no-movement clause and appears, for now, to be focused solely on helping the Maple Leafs compete for the Stanley Cup.

“We’re just excited, it’s a lot of the same group we had,” Marner said of the upcoming season. “We know we’re a great team and you just have to make sure every summer you work hard, get ready to go and get ready for the new season.”

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