It seems the Toronto Maple Leafs attempted to move on from star forward Mitch Marner ahead of the National Hockey League’s trade deadline.

Marner, a pending unrestricted free agent with a full no movement clause in his contract, has seen the future of his hockey career become the topic of rampant speculation over the course of last summer and throughout the 2024-25 NHL regular season, but it may have never been more real for the polarizing forward than it was on Friday.

According to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs approached Marner on Friday and asked him to waive his no-movement clause in order to facilitate a trade that would have sent him to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for star forward Mikko Rantanen. Furthermore, the insider reports that it was Marner himself who blocked the trade from becoming a reality by using the trade protection he negotiated on his current deal.

The Hurricanes initially asked for Mitch Marner in return for Rantanen. Because it was for Rantanen, the Maple Leafs had to consider it. They told the winger their desire is to sign him, but they had to ask in this case. As is his right, Marner declined to move, re-iterating his desire to stay.

This certainly adds another wrinkle to Marner’s pending unrestricted free agency and one has to wonder how this most recent request could impact the future between Marner and the Maple Leafs, the only team he has ever played for in the NHL.

Marner is having another excellent season with 19 goals and 58 assists for a total of 77 points in just 61 games this season and as a player that can play in all situations he will likely be the most coveted player to hit the open market in quite some time should he do so.