The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing elimination tonight in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers. Winning tonight (puck drop 8 p.m. Eastern) in Sunrise is the team’s prime directive.
But a loss will bring the future of the franchise, and its roster construction, into focus quite quickly. A prime example is the fate of veteran forward Mitch Marner, whose contract ends after the playoffs.
As part of our Ontario sports betting coverage, OntarioBets.com developed exclusive odds weighing where Marner might sign for next season and beyond.
Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
Carolina Hurricanes | +450 | 18.2% |
Toronto Maple Leafs | +475 | 17.4% |
Chicago Blackhawks | +900 | 10.0% |
New York Rangers | +900 | 10.0% |
Utah Mammoth | +1100 | 8.3% |
Detroit Red Wings | +1100 | 8.3% |
Buffalo Sabres | +1250 | 7.4% |
New Jersey Devils | +1250 | 7.4% |
The Field | +600 | 14.3% |
These odds were developed exclusively for OntarioBets.com, where our Ontario sportsbook apps reviews will keep you in the loop when you sign up with an operator.
Toronto selected Marner fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft and he has played his entire nine-year career with the Maple Leafs. He has 221 goals and 741 points in the NHL and has been an All-Star selection three times. The right wing has seven 20-goal seasons including 2024-25, when he was fifth on the team with 27 goals.
But Marner is an especially strong playmaker as evidenced by his 75 assists this season. That helped him top the Leafs in points with 102, good for fifth in the league.
See how Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup odds evolve during the postseason at OntarioBets.com, assuming the season extends beyond tonight.
The Leafs have major salary cap issues to address in the offseason. Whether they rally to beat the Panthers or not, the question regarding Marner’s status must be at the forefront of any offseason plans in Toronto.
Marner has had a salary cap hit of $10.903 million USD each of the past six seasons. His contract runs out this summer and, at age 28, he can become an unrestricted free agent.
The NHL salary cap figure for the 2025-26 season is projected to be $95.5 million. According to data at the Spotrac website, the Leafs already have $37.2 million earmarked for eight forwards next season – and that list includes neither Marner nor John Tavares, who also can be a UFA in the offseason.
We have the Carolina Hurricanes, who have already reached this season’s East final, as the slight favorite to land Marner, with an 18.2% implied probability (+450 odds). That’s just ahead of our odds that the wing stays in Canada’s largest city (+475).
The NHL Stanley Cup odds are against Toronto, which is not surprising given the team’s 3-2 deficit to the Panthers in the best-of-seven series and the stinker that the Leafs turned in Wednesday, when Florida blew them out 6-1 in Game 5 – at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, no less. At NorthStar Bets Sportsbook, Toronto has the longest odds of the remaining six teams (+2600) to win the title.
During these playoffs, Marner has 12 points (including two goals) in 11 games, second on the team to William Nylander (15 points). Just like the regular season, Marner leads the team in assists (10) during the postseason.
At Pinnacle Canada Sportsbook, Toronto goes into tonight’s Game 6 as a +195 moneyline underdog to win the game, with -220 odds on the Panthers to close out the series and continue their attempt at winning consecutive Stanley Cups.
USA Today photo by John E. Sokolowski
Author
Jim Tomlin is an editor and writer specializing in sports, gambling and the intersection of those industries. He has 30+ years of journalism experience and his work has appeared in the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition.
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