Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner has free agent plans revealed before signing record-setting contract

NHL free agency opens on July 1 as the clock strikes midnight to turn the calendar forward from June.

But Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, the top available player, may not be in a rush to sign a new deal.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday on how Marner and his agent are planning to take their time to pick a team, if they need it.

"What (agent Darren) Ferris didn’t say exactly, is when that decision would be made," LeBrun wrote. "My TSN colleague Darren Dreger reported on a SportsCentre hit during the Stanley Cup Final that after soliciting interest from teams on July 1, Ferris and Marner would whittle the list to the clubs he and his family want to visit 'before making a decision by July 15.'"

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Man, if Marner hangs out for half the month before signing, that'll really slow down the rest of free agency a bit, too. The teams chasing Marner will have to wait on other contracts before they know if they're getting the two-way star.

He's expected to get something in the neighborhood of $13-14 million per year, which would set a new record for a winger's annual average value. 

There's also some suspense on the length of contract Marner opts to sign. He could go for a two-year deal and end up with a bigger payday in a couple years when the salary cap has grown substantially.

Marner will certainly keep NHL free agency interesting.

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