So Marner suddenly accepts 5 years less and $2M+/yr less than his expectation? Why?

This isn't a "bridge". Your opportunity to bridge him has come and gone. He might have accepted this a year and a half ago.

You're basically offering him almost his actual market value on a 5-6 year deal as a bridge. Darren Ferris is apparently the best agent ever. Iunno what a bridge looks like for him though. Like 2x5.5-6?

Also more and most importantly for all Leafs AGMs... This defense core isn't gonna happen. No way they plan to run the next season with a RD corps that's just some combination Holl/Liljegren/Dermott/Sandin/Rosen as everyone is suggesting. Of those 5 only Dermott and Rosen seem likely to be on the opening roster out of camp at all. Best case scenario for someone like Liljegren is getting called up halfway through the season like Dermott did.