Tavares, like Marner, grew up in the Toronto area dreaming of being a Maple Leaf. When he left the New York Islanders to sign a seven-year, $77 million contract ($11 million average annual value) on July 1, 2018, he publicly announced his decision by posting a childhood photo on social media of sleeping under Maple Leafs covers.

Given several chances to address his hockey future as he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, Marner returned to the same answer: He hasn’t given it much thought since the Leafs were eliminated in Game 7 by the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.

Mitch Marner used past tense. That's what everyone noticed in the Toronto Maple Leafs star's exit interview with the media on Tuesday. When he spoke about his fondness for the Leafs, he chose to talk about it in the past.