Inside the Slow Breakdown Between Marner and the Maple Leafs

The relationship between Mitch Marner and the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t implode overnight. According to a recent report by Elliotte Friedman, it slowly frayed under the weight of expectations, playoff failure, and a growing sense of disconnect between the player and the organization.

Marner has since moved on and said in his media availability on Friday that he doesn’t want to look back at the past. Still, the past heavily determined why his return to Toronto as the Maple Leafs and Golden Knights face off is such a big story.

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Friedman revealed that conversations about Marner’s future began years before any public trade speculation surfaced. While the Leafs were working on deals with Auston Matthews and others, they sought long-term assurances from Marner that they never received. The same clarity they had with other core players wasn’t something Marner wanted to discuss, but president Brendan Shanahan chose to ignore the warning signs and bet on elite talent. He believed — much like the mid-1990s Red Wings — that the Leafs would eventually figure it out.

When Did the Maple Leafs Start to Get Worried?

Following Toronto’s crushing 2024 first-round loss to the Boston Bruins, things began to go south. William Nylander missed games, Auston Matthews battled illness, and goaltender Joseph Woll was injured late in Game 6. Marner, returning just before the playoffs from a high-ankle sprain, played all seven games but managed only three points.

He was clearly not himself, but he was on the receiving end of much of the criticism in Toronto. As a very sensitive person who had a hard time not reading negative reviews of his play online, that hurt him more than people likely realized.

Friedman reported that several people around the situation believe this was the moment Marner began seriously contemplating his future elsewhere. He didn’t feel as though the franchise did enough to defend him when he started taking so much heat. He wanted them to publicly defend him. They didn’t really step up in his eyes. GM Brad Treliving later acknowledged that Marner was playing through multiple injuries, but there was little public support for the organization telling fans to back off.

The Maple Leafs Began to Look at Trade Options

Toronto knew there was a problem and began exploring trade options. Carolina’s Martin Necas was discussed, but the Leafs didn’t believe Marner would waive his clause.

Vegas also emerged as a possibility, though the Golden Knights were unwilling to move Shea Theodore, and concerns over Alex Pietrangelo’s health halted further talks.

Of course, by then, Marner wasn’t big on the idea of doing the Maple Leafs any favors. He didn’t give them clarity on his situation, and wasn’t willing to go somewhere he didn’t want to be just to help the franchise.

Extension discussions reportedly stalled. While the idea of an eight-year, $96 million deal was floated, talks never gained traction.

Over time, fatigue set in on both sides, and with all leverage on the part of the Maple Leafs gone, there were limited options left. That’s when the trade to Vegas took place, one that will go down in Maple Leafs history as a blunder of epic proportions by a team that saw the writing on the wall but didn’t do what was needed when they had the chance.

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