The sting of losing Mitch Marner isn’t leaving Toronto anytime soon. Sure, the Maple Leafs did what they felt they had to. Perhaps Marner did too. He moved on and landed where he felt more comfortable, and the Leafs picked up several pieces to round out their roster. Still, Marner’s departure is being talked about as the Leafs’ star players get back to training and camps.
The media in Toronto aren’t letting it go, either. In a fiery roundtable on TSN OverDrive, Jim Tatti, Jason Strudwick, and Dave Feschuk dissected William Nylander’s candid reaction to Marner’s departure — and what it says about the Maple Leafs’ ongoing identity crisis.
The Marner Narrative Isn’t Going Anywhere
“This is going to be the narrative around the team the whole season,” they said, suggesting that Marner’s exit wasn’t destiny, but the price of repeated playoff heartbreak. “If they would have won those playoff games — beat Florida, didn’t blow Game 3, showed up in Game 5 and Game 7 — I just can’t believe he was a preordained Vegas Golden Knight,” noted Feschuk. He suggested there was truth to Nylander’s comments that Marner didn’t have one foot out the door.
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Strudwick added that he doesn’t believe Marner was necessarily looking to get out much sooner than he did. The former NHLer noted that players are always talking to other players about what it’s like to play elsewhere. The idea that Ryan Reaves or Max Pacioretty pumped the tires of the Golden Knights to the point that Marner was sold on the city is a stretch.
Marner might have stayed, had things just gone a little bit differently.
Marner Wanted to Win and Was Sick of Losing
The panel agreed on one point: money wasn’t the issue. Marner wanted to win — and after years of watching the Leafs collapse under the weight of expectations, he took his talents to a team that could deliver. Strudwick said, “You win a Stanley Cup in Toronto, your name is whispered for eternity.” But when you don’t, it’s a tough place to play.
Fans are now split on Marner. Some fans will boo him when he comes back to town, and others might cheer him for what he brought the team. For many, there will be bitterness.
There is also the feeling among many in Leafs Nation that it’s easier to believe the villain storyline, suggesting Marner knew he was going and wanted to leave, perhaps giving up on the team. The pain of losing such a good player doesn’t sting as badly if it’s easy to find a reason to be upset with said player.
“I’ll cheer him when he comes back,” said longtime season-ticket holder Mark R., 42. “The guy gave everything to this team — the organization failed him.” But others, like social media commenter @TrueBlueSince93, aren’t as forgiving: “He quit on us. Plain and simple. Boos are coming.”
The Marner saga may be technically over because he’s gone. But with every point he scores and every game the Golden Knights win, it will be a painful reminder of what could have been. If Auston Matthews’ numbers drop, even just a little bit, expect media outlets and fans to talk about the Marner connection. Should Toronto go on a losing streak, questions will be asked if it could have been avoided had Marner stayed.
This will follow the Leafs around for most of 2025-26.
