It was never a question of if he would sign. That rarely — if almost never — is the case with a top pick in an NHL draft. The Thornhill native already bought in.
Marner has been splitting his time at the Leafs practice facility and in Vaughan putting in the training necessary ahead of what will be his toughest challenge yet — making an impression and showing that he fits in.
“Just because I wasn’t signed doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to do everything I could to make the team. I was always part of it,” said Marner, hours after signing his three-year entry-level deal with the Maple Leafs.