The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the most loyal fanbases in the entire NHL. With that being said, the loyalty also comes with criticism if the team is unable to find success in the postseason, and that’s exactly what happened last season when they were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Bruins. As soon as the elimination happened, fans began pointing blame at the “Core Four” forward group, but there seemed to be more pointed toward Mitch Marner than any of the others. Auston Matthews wasn’t able to produce offensively either, but the fanbase is aware of his regular season dominance and is hopeful he can snap out of it this season when it comes to the playoffs. The rumours surrounding Marner have been strong this offseason and while a big move could benefit the team long-term, it would cripple the Maple Leafs’ forward depth if they aren’t able to get a substantial return to replace him.
If a Marner trade ever does end up coming to fruition, the Maple Leafs should be able to bring back a massive trade package in return. With that being said though, the team’s forward depth isn’t strong. If they can’t bring back at least two NHL-ready forwards who can produce strongly in at least a middle-six forward role, they may have some real problems. There have been conversations around some star forwards being moved this offseason including Martin Necas from the Carolina Hurricanes, but he still wouldn’t be able to strengthen the team’s depth chart to the point where it wouldn’t hurt the Maple Leafs’ immediate future.
Related: Maple Leafs Expected to Keep “Core Four” Together, Yet Again
I am still on the side that supports a Marner trade, but only if it means the return benefits the Maple Leafs in both the immediate and long-term future. Ideally, bringing back a replacement for Marner, potentially on the same level as Necas, as well as another forward, a prospect, and a draft pick helps the team in both ways. It’s a long shot and it seems unlikely the Maple Leafs are going to move Marner before the 2025 Trade Deadline, but if they do, they need to make sure they’re not hurting their chances of a playoff run.
How Does the Forward Group Look Without Marner?
If you simply took Marner out of the Maple Leafs’ lineup, the team’s forward group isn’t strong enough to make a deep run into the postseason. Matthews, Matthew Knies, Bobby McMann, John Tavares, and William Nylander round out the rest of the top-six which is solid, but the third line is where it gets a bit worrisome. As of right now, the Maple Leafs’ projected third line is some combination of Max Domi, Pontus Holmberg, Connor Dewar, Calle Jarnkrok, David Kampf, and Ryan Reaves, with the other three rounding out the fourth line. It’s good, but it’s not great. Now, consider that group without a Marner replacement and who you would move up to the top-six to replace him temporarily, which doesn’t seem possible.
Domi could take some reps in the top-six, and maybe Dewar gets a shot if he starts out the season well, but nobody is strong enough to replace Marner and produce to the ability that he can. While it seems as though the Maple Leafs realize this and haven’t made a panic trade just to say they tried something, they need to face the music and realize what they’re working with just isn’t going to cut it for the postseason. Unfortunately, they will have to sacrifice something to get better, I just hope that doesn’t mean missing the playoffs because of a failed Marner deal.
