Although John Tavares might be holding onto a glimmer of hope that Mitch Marner returns to the Toronto Maple Leafs, he's being realistic about the situation.

Now that the Toronto Maple Leafs have locked John Tavares in for another four years, all eyes have shifted to fellow forward Mitch Marner, who is set to hit the free-agent market on July 1. Tavares, speaking after announcing his own four-year extension with the Maple Leafs,

TORONTO — Brad Treliving confirmed the anticipated on Thursday morning, stating that he expects Toronto Maple Leafs star and pending unrestricted free agent Mitch Marner to test free agency. “Unless there’s a significant change here, I would anticipate that he’s going to hit the market,” the Leafs GM said in a media availability.