One other season, one other heartbreaking Sport 7 loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs. You’d assume that by now, their followers could be used to the ache and frustration of continually falling brief within the postseason, however this newest loss in a winner-take-all recreation hurts a bit extra.
The Maple Leafs roster that left the ice in dejected style to a smattering of boos from the followers who hadn’t already left Scotiabank Area final Sunday night is probably going going to be and not using a few key names when the membership reconvenes within the fall for the beginning of the 2025-26 NHL season.
The identify on everybody’s thoughts occurs to be a participant who has spent his total NHL profession sporting the crest of the Maple Leafs on his chest – Ontario native Mitch Marner.
Maple Leafs ahead Mitch Marner’s contract expires on July 1
Marner has been capable of reside out the type of profession within the near-last decade that the majority youngsters rising up idolizing the Toronto Maple Leafs may solely dream of. A fan of the Leafs rising up as a toddler, the Leafs drafted Marner within the 2015 NHL Draft with the fourth general choice, with the expectation that he’d turn out to be a core participant for them to construct round.
And for essentially the most half, Marner has lived as much as expectations – at the very least, in the course of the common season. He is been one of the vital constant level producers on the group, which was why former Toronto basic supervisor Kyle Dubas noticed match to reward his efforts with a six-year contract extension in September 2019 with a $10.9 million cap hit.
On the time, it made sense for each events. As an Ontario native who grew up rooting for the Leafs, Marner expressed pleasure in the truth that he was going to be round for the next six seasons, by way of NHL.com.
“I am from Toronto, I reside right here and I play right here as properly,” Marner mentioned. “There’s strain in that all the time. You do not give it some thought, you simply go on the market and play hockey like I’ve my complete life.”
“Now we have an important [team] right here, the coaching employees as properly and every part else. They will make it possible for each evening you come out able to play and prepared for the video games. As a participant, I wish to be sure each evening I am able to play, regardless of whom I am up towards, the minutes or every part like that, that each time you are on the ice you attempt to make one thing occur and attempt to win.”
He routinely led the Leafs to spectacular common season campaigns, and he is by no means missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However Marner’s play within the postseason that has come into query.
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Whereas it is true that Marner’s play within the postseason has confronted criticism, he isn’t the one participant on the Leafs that did not elevate their recreation with the season on the road and it would not be truthful to put the blame solely at his ft.
Marner is up for a brand new contract this offseason, and whereas many followers and analysts are calling for a divorce between the 2 sides after an almost decade-long relationship, the Leafs, led by basic supervisor Brad Treliving, want to provide critical thought to bringing Marner again for one more go-around.
Marner reached new heights together with his play within the common season in 2024-25, scoring 27 objectives with 75 assists for a brand new career-high output of 102 factors. It goes with out saying that gamers who attain the 100-point threshold, seemingly with ease due to their uncooked expertise and ability, do not develop on timber and do not come round that usually.
There are a number of groups all through the NHL that might kill to have a participant like Marner, who creates offense at will and appears to genuinely have enjoyable whereas taking part in the sport. It is true that Marner did not ship for the Leafs within the second half of the collection towards the Panthers, which ended with one other heartbreaking Sport 7 loss to finish their season, however as talked about, he wasn’t the one one.
The Maple Leafs simply accomplished their first season below new head coach Craig Berube, who gained the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. He isn’t Sheldon Keefe, who went on file after being let go by the Leafs final offseason that he handled Marner otherwise.
One other season below Berube may very properly profit Marner, particularly within the postseason. At 28 years previous, Marner additionally has rather more hockey left in him than his 34-year-old teammate John Tavares.
The Maple Leafs are already getting in a brand new path on the prime after the departure of Staff President Brendan Shanahan, however Marner ought to stay with the membership to attempt to end what they got down to accomplish.