Former NHL defenseman Mike Commodore has given some advice to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.

Marner has been the subject of trade rumors all summer long as he’s entering the final year of the six-year $65.41 million deal he signed with Toronto back in 2019. With Marner entering the final year of his deal, many insiders expected him to be traded but that hasn’t been the case.

Instead, it now appears Marner will start the year with Toronto and Commodore thinks the skilled forward should play the year out and then walk in free agency. Commodore points to what LeBron James did as he left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat to pursue a championship, as Marner would leave his hometown Maple Leafs to go to another team.

From the outside looking in, I think if I was Mitch Marner, I think if I’m the Leafs, like, Hey, look, you’re gonna have this guy, you know, not even. What are you going to do? He’s gonna want to raise, like, are we gonna pay another forward like that a bunch of money, or do we try and I know he has a no-move clause and everything like, let’s get him out and see if we can get some pieces, get some cap space something like that, more Berube-type players,” Commodore said to Bodog.

If I’m Mitch Marner, look I don’t know Mitch, I wouldn’t know him if he walked in the room here. But, you know, these guys, if I was Mitch Marner, I think I’ve seen enough, maybe it’s time for me to get out of Toronto. I’ve had a nice run here, and things haven’t worked out. We didn’t win, but, you know, I am a good player. Maybe I’ll you know. It’s so, LeBron. I don’t like LeBron but ‘take my talents elsewhere,’” Commodore added.