Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and 32 Thoughts the Podcast mentioned in the most recent episode of his podcast, “this is the end of this group (Core 4) if the Leafs don’t pull off a big comeback.” This sent shockwaves around the social media world as the Toronto Maple Leafs currently sit on the brink of elimination against the Boston Bruins.
With the Bruins up 3-1 on the Maple Leafs, things are looking bleak for Leafs Nation. They spent the first half of this series without William Nylander in the lineup and with a struggling Mitch Marner. Now, they are preparing to play Game 5 without Auston Matthews, who has been battling an unknown illness since Game 2. Unfortunately, this has been a playoff series to forget after so much hype surrounding how this team was built differently. As Game 5 approaches, fans around the team are holding their breath and preparing for yet another playoff letdown from the same core players.
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The combination of Matthews, Nylander, Marner, and John Tavares has had one playoff series win since 2016, when the new era of the Maple Leafs started. This is unacceptable, and now, after all these seasons and the struggles that came with them, it seems like there may finally be a change this offseason. Unless this team can find a way to push back against the Bruins and win this series.
Why is the Potential Change?
Friedman brought that up after talking about the core and said, “Number one, Marner’s contract. He’s got one more year, and that’s going to force you into a decision. The Tavares contract has one more year; it’s going to force you into a decision. And you can only give so many votes of confidence to the same group, and they did one last summer. So, this is their last chance to prove that they should stay together, and as you listen to this right now, it’s hanging by a thread.”
This is making a lot of fans think more and more about what has already been on the forefront of their minds in this playoff series: it has to be Marner. Since Game 1 ended, Leafs’ Land has been bringing up that this should be the end of the Marner with the Maple Leafs. It’s unfortunate, but that is what happens when you lack the effort that comes with playoff hockey. It hasn’t gone unnoticed by anyone, including his teammates, Matthews and Nylander, who were seen yelling at him on the bench during Game 4.
This could be the final straw for general manager Brad Treliving to do something about it this summer. It could also be the catalyst behind the team going on a run and winning a few games, but it seems unlikely that a deep run would happen now. When this series ends and if the Maple Leafs aren’t the winners, that could be the final game that one of the core four plays in blue and white, and with Marner’s name being brought up for contractual reasons, it seems like it could be him. Tavares’ name was also mentioned by Friedman, but at this point, it seems like anything is possible if they find themselves out of the playoffs early for the eighth straight season.
