Just when we thought we had reached the summit of the saga involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and franchise superstar Mitch Marner, a fan took a photo sending the conversation into an entirely different stratosphere.
X user @vinterista_ shared a photo of Marner and new Leafs head coach Craig Berube meeting in a coffee shop on Monday, May 27, and the Spittin’ Chiclets account re-shared the pic helping it go viral.
The nature of the meeting is still unknown, but the photo marked the first time Berube and Marner have been seen together in public.
The Leafs are expected to at the very least tweak their roster ahead of the 2025 season, and Marner has been the most talked-about player by fans of the franchise as a potential player to be traded to fill needs elsewhere across the lineup.
Insiders Share Their Thoughts on Viral Marner-Berube Pic
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee discussed the “leaked” photo on May 28, one day after it went viral online.
Kypreos is skeptical about the meeting’s significance and showed more concern about fans crossing the privacy line of players and coaches by freely sharing this type of content.
“First of all, isn’t there a law against it?” Kypreos said. “Are you allowed to take pictures of people, in public places?”
Bourne discussed the picture suggesting that having meetings with Marner, Berube might not be telling him he’s getting traded but rather the opposite.
“Would you be meeting with a guy who is out the door, multiple times, over the first two weeks in Toronto?” Bourne wondered.
The Toronto Sun tried to reach Marner’s agent, Darren Ferris, on May 27, but he did not immediately respond to a message asking about the meeting’s significance.
With a lack of an “official” explanation of the nature of the meeting, fans are speculating about what went down between the coach and the player. No matter what was discussed, however, the future of Marner in Toronto depends entirely on whether or not he wants to move from the only franchise he’s ever known.
Marner has a No-Move Clause in his contract, per PuckPedia, which means he can block any trade the Leafs agree to with another NHL franchise. His contract runs through the 2024-25 season, and he will earn $10.9 million next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in July 2025.
Former Leafs Player Nick Kypreos on Mitch Marner’s Situation
On top of appearing on Sportsnet, Kypreos wrote a column on May 30 over The Toronto Star discussing Marner’s situation and the summer ahead for the Canadian franchise.
Kypreos brought back a similar situation the Leafs already went through last summer: dealing with fellow forward William Nylander’s contract.
“The Leafs went through an unsettling situation with William Nylander last season as he played into the final year of his contract without an extension for months,” Kypreos wrote. “They very well may need to go through this again with Marner.”
The Leafs can sign Marner to a new contract and keep their “core four” intact for years. All other three members of the foursome (Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares) are under contract for at least one more year with Matthews and Nylander locked into contracts through 2028, via PuckPedia.
Trading Marner would allow the Leafs to free a huge amount of money to fill other positions needing improvements, such as the net and the blue line.
Kypreos believes the Leafs should be able to improve their roster while working out a Marner trade, or even if Marner refuses to move by not waiving his NMC.
“Even without trading Marner, there is enough cap space to sign a top free-agent defenceman that will instantly change the makeup and feel of the blue line,” Kypreos wrote. “They can also get themselves a reputable goaltender to support Joseph Woll who, despite having health issues, still has the upside of being a No. 1 goalie in the near future.”
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Viral Marner & Berube Coffee Meeting Photo Sparks Speculation