Mitch Marner enjoys summer wake surfing while awaiting contract finalization (via Instagram/@marner_93)

In Photo: $65.4 million Mitch Marner hits the waves for wake surfing with his cute little bestie

Modified Jul 27, 2024 16:09 GMT

Mitch Marner, with his $65.4 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, is enjoying his summer with some wake surfing. He recently shared a photo of himself and Brody, the young son of Kyle Clifford, on Instagram. The picture was originally posted by Paige Clifford, Kyle's wife. The Instagram story shows Marner having fun on the water and enjoying a great summer moment with the Clifford family.

Paige Clifford originally captioned the post as:

"Besties"

As Mitch Marner enjoys his summer, he's waiting for the final details of his contract. He signed a six-year deal with the Leafs worth $65,418,000. This includes a $60,958,000 signing bonus and an average annual salary of $10,903,000.

While contract talks are exciting, Marner is relaxing and enjoying his time off. Leafs fans are eager for Marner's new deal to be finalized, but there’s still time. Meanwhile, Marner is enjoying his summer, catching waves and making moments with friends.

Mitch Marner practices hard for 2024-25 season amid contract uncertainties

Mitch Marner is preparing for the 2024-25 NHL season. He was seen practicing on ice in Vaughan, Ontario. Marner wore white skates with teal trim in a video posted by his coach, Daniel Noble. The 27-year-old has been an NHL All-Star three times and has worn custom skates during the event.

Marner's offseason has been busy as there were rumors that he might be traded but have since died down, as new coach Craig Berube said he is excited to work with him. Marner hosted his charity event, the Marner All-Star Invitational, in July. Media was allowed but could not ask hockey questions.

However, last week, analyst Mike Rupp talked about the challenge faced by the Maple Leafs in extending Marner's contract, via NHL Network.

"The problem, I think, is the cap space or the cap hits that you see right there, and the fact that the contract is expiring. There are going to be other teams out there that will pay him a value that you probably can't fit in. But because of what you've had and the way that you've been built financially, it hasn't worked for you to have that much money tied up in a few players."

Mitch Marner is entering the final year of his six-year, $65.41 million contract. No new deal has been made yet. Last season, Marner had 26 goals and 59 assists in 69 games. He missed a month due to a high-ankle sprain. In the playoffs, he had one goal and two assists in seven games against the Boston Bruins.