Kyle Dubas says it's not on Mitch Marner to free Maple Leafs of cap constraints

Mitch Marner and Kawhi Leonard have Toronto fans standing at attention, waiting on their every move. It’s not their responsibility, however, to bail their teams out of precarious cap scenarios, a point that Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was quick to bring up on Sunday while out to celebrate and support Toronto Pride.

Speaking about his 22-year-old star only, Dubas was asked about Marner’s ongoing contract negotiations with the Maple Leafs. When questioned if Marner accepting a deal before July 1 would make it easier for the Maple Leafs to proceed this summer, Dubas rejected the notion entirely, and seemed to be advocating for the winger’s best interests.

“I'm always hopeful, but Mitch has his rights. It's not on Mitch to free us up. Mitch has his rights, Mitch has been a fantastic player for us, person for us. We'll continue to work with (his agent) Darren (Ferris), work with his people and carry on,” Dubas said.

Coming off a 92-point campaign to lead the Maple Leafs in scoring for the second season in a row, Marner wants to be paid handsomely for his contributions.

Dubas was asked to compare and contrast his priorities from last summer to this summer, and what a difference a year makes. After landing the prize of the 2018 free agency class in John Tavares, Dubas now has to deal with the function of a young core playing above expectations, and said the Maple Leafs won’t be hunting a big name, Marner aside.

“The salary cap is going to constrain us big time on July 1. We're probably looking for guys who we can give a great opportunity to, like Tyler Ennis last year who came in and had a great season for us, guys of that nature,” Dubas said.

“We will not be in the big game market at all, aside for capturing and coming to agreement with our own guy, Mitch. We're working towards that, we all know how important he is to us and the community."

Dubas has made it absolutely clear that inking Marner to a long-term extension that is healthy for the Maple Leafs’ long-term future is his top priority, while also noting that it makes it tough for him to proceed further with other aspirations until it gets done.

Asking Marner to essentially do his job for him by taking less money, however, is something Dubas refuses to entertain with the rest of the hockey world refreshing their tabs to see if the Maple Leafs finally locked up their homegrown hero.

More NHL coverage from Yahoo Sports