Maple Leafs May Be Better Without Marner—But Not in the Way Fans Think

Mitch Marner’s exit from the Toronto Maple Leafs and trade to the Vegas Golden Knights will undoubtedly change the team’s DNA, but will it lead to a more more balanced and resilient roster? That’s one of the burning questions heading into the 2025-26 season and the Leafs have a lot riding on the answer being yes.

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One the NHL’s elite talents, many Maple Leafs fans have focused on Marner’s playoff shortcomings to justify his departure as a good thing. While he did have his issues scoring goals, particulary in series-defining games, it’s easy to overlook just how productive he’s been.

Marner takes a 102-point season to Vegas as well as a career in Toronto where he averaged a point-per-game for seven consecutive seasons. He played a critical role defensively and logged major minutes in all situations. Vegas will be happy to have him. No fan should be talking themselves into the idea that the Leafs are better because a 100-point player is gone who had some inconsistencies in the postseason.

Will the Maple Leafs Be a Better Team?

Where things might be improve for the Leafs in 2025-26 is in their overall roster build. Their goaltending hasn’t changed, their blue line is improved, and they still have elite forwards like Auston Matthews and William Nylander. They now also have depth that can back up the stars.

Marner’s exit freed up millions of extra dollars that GM Brad Treliving used to support his key guys. They invested in more depth, spread talent across three lines, and reduce the top-heavy dependency that’s haunted them in recent playoff runs.

There are some questions about how big an impact names like Matias Maccellis, Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy will have, but there is every reason to think the new faces can combine for close to 100 points. What matters just as much is the positive impact they might have on the top stars.

Toronto’s 2025-26 squad might not have the same flair up front, but it could be tougher to play against, giving Matthews, Nylander, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies for freedom to do what they do best.

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