Marner has consistently been in trade rumors throughout his time in Toronto. No matter what happens, he always seems to be the standout player, and often not in a good way. This year, the rumor mill went into overdrive after Marner's lackluster playoff performance, the worst of his career. Since then, the team's relationship with Marner has seemed to deteriorate as both sides exchange blows by leaking details of their negotiations to the press. Today, Frank Serravalli reiterated his beliefe that the Leafs will trade him. Only now, it seems that cordial talks have ended.
Fans across the NHL are rather confused by all of this. Many Leafs fans believe that Marner has showed his true colors over the years, and that he is incapable of handling the pressure that comes with playing in Toronto. Some are now questioning whether or not he has the mental fortitude to engage in a stalemate with the Leafs for an entire season.
Some fans have gotten the impression that Marner doesn't really care about winning, he just wants to deepen his own pockets. Playing with Auston Matthews is theoretically one way for him to do that as he will continue to put up gawdy point totals with the help of other elite forwards. Perhaps if he was on another team, he wouldn't be quite as effective, ultimately lowering his value on the open market.
Marner's reputation among Leafs fans has already gotten to a bad point. While many fans love and admire him, many others resent him for his attitude and work rate on the ice as he often appears to not be giving 100%. Extending this standoff with the team will only serve to further damage his reputation.
