I think your observation is very insightful in terms of how Marner and his camp would negotiate with another team.
If I were to characterize the way Marner has handled his business with the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's on a very emotional, relationship-y, or almost sibling rivalry frequency that just isn't really a business relationship at all.
He's treated like the middle child in a golden generation crop of homegrown superstars. He doesn't like it. He didn't get his rookie bonuses. Auston did. Early days, it's Mitch vs Willie. Contractually, he's going to make the Leafs pay through their noses for the way he was snubbed. He threatened to look at offer sheets, but was never going to leave.
It's never about hey I want X dollars for Y years and that'll make me happy, eager to prove it on the ice and just make life easier. It's gotta be pegged to some percentage, that percentage is emotional and tied to his validation as a player. It's never about just winning an Art Ross, winning a Stanley Cup and letting those achievements speak for themselves.
Mitch Earner.