Featured
Why Are Maple Leafs Fans So Casual About Letting Mitch Marner Walk?
Mitch Marner is taking the fall for another disappointing season, but why are Maple Leafs fans so casual about letting him walk in free agency?
While the door is not completely closed on Mitch Marner re-signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the belief is that he’s leaving as a pending UFA on July 1. If he does, it feels like no one will be surprised. Even more fascinating, as @VinSharman95 pointed out, it’s genuinely baffling how casual some Leafs fans have become about the idea of Marner simply walking away.
As frustrating as it can be that he’s not produced in the big games and when the Leafs most need it, we’re talking about Mitch Marner here.
This is not some inconsistent, mediocre, sometimes-good NHLer.
Marner is the same guy who logs heavy minutes in every situation — power play, penalty kill, 3-on-3, defensive zone starts. This is the same guy who quietly racks up 90 to 100 points while driving play, frustrating top lines, and anchoring the Leafs’ defensive structure from the wing. He is elite, there is no denying that.
He may not always show up on the scoresheet in the playoffs, but his impact goes far beyond the box score.
And yet, among a chunk of the fanbase, the sentiment seems to be: “Let him go, and let someone else deal with him,” “It’s time to move on,” or “He can’t handle the pressure anyway.” This nonchalance is striking, especially given how central Marner has been to the team’s core.
The Leafs’ Failures Aren’t All On Marner
To be fair, one shouldn’t lay the repeated playoff frustration this franchise has felt at the feet of Marner alone. Marner hasn’t delivered in elimination games. But neither has Auston Matthews, John Tavares, or even William Nylander, all of whom have taken turns being great at times and inconsistent at others.
The fanbase’s anger and disappointment is valid. But is Marner the right scapegoat?
He’s often described as “too soft” or “afraid of the moment,” yet there’s little evidence he wants out. In fact, it’s the organization and fanbase that seem more eager to move on than he does. Some reports suggest that the Leafs made a substantial offer, which he declined. If true, fair enough — but that doesn’t change the fact that letting a 100-point, two-way winger walk for nothing is a massive gamble.
Are Maple Leafs Fans Overconfident About Plan B?
And for what? So Toronto can maybe replace him with Sam Bennett or Nikolaj Ehlers? There is no guarantee that either are seriously going to consider Toronto as free agent landing spots.
Bennett’s a warrior, sure, but he’s never posted more than 51 points (which he did this season). Ehlers is intriguing, but he has had a reduced role in Winnipeg, and it remains to be seen whether he can scale his production if given more responsibility. If these are the fallback options, fine, but what happens if the market creates a bidding war? Are either worth paying $9-$10 million per season if Marner can be retained for $13?
It’s an intriguing question that many fans seem to have already answered via their quick decision to throw the blame at a player well within his right to test the market (but may not want to).
Mitch Marner’s not perfect. But he’s one of the best all-around forwards this franchise has developed in decades. If he walks, Leafs fans might not fully grasp what they’ve lost — until he’s lighting them up in a different sweater.
Next: Bowman’s Undervalue Bets Paying Off for Oilers in the Playoffs
3 Comments
Leave a Reply
More News
Barry P
May 31, 2025 at 10:19 pm
so, what’s your point???…what do you want us to do about it?? it’s not like we have any say in the matter. I don’t think Leafs fans are just blaming Mitch…this is on all of the core 4(5).
Neither Matthews, Marner, Nylander, or Reilly seem especially upset at another (9th) playoff failure. You could see the pain on JT’s face after it was over. Unfortunately, these guys do not have the internal fire, and desire to get to a Stanley Cup final…….it’s extremely obvious…just hear them speak, with the same bs they say every year after they are out. None of them are leaders, and something has to change. Could we take a step back if we lose Marner for nothing…absolutely, but something has to change, the team as currently constructed will never win a damn thing.
I keep thinking about the video that was seen after the Oilers lost to Florida last year when the cameras followed the Oilers into the dressing room after game 7. The look on McDavids face…the guy was beyond distraught…it was painful to see (and I am not an Oilers fan)….have we ever seen tha look on any of the Leafs faces after another game 7 loss??? EVER….it is the same garbage that comes out of their mouth.
No, it is not just Marners fault, but if the reports are credible, Treliving tried to sign Marner throughout this year (and apparently looked into trading him last summer to Vegas, and of course at the trade deadline with Carolina, re Mikko Rantanen).
Just maybe Leafs fans are sour on Marner because he always wants to extract every damn nickel he can (which is his right), but it doesn’t have a good look to it. Matthews, Marner and Nylander are more concerned about themselves then the team.
Why is it that you have guys like Crosby and Nate MacKinnon that only care about championships???they don’t need every last nickel!!…why can’t we have guys like that???…I guess it is too much to ask with a franchise as cursed as the Leafs franchise. Nothing will ever change with this team….EVER!
Stan Smith
June 1, 2025 at 5:50 am
I disagree with your statement “There is little evidence he wants out”. I think Marner has shown numerous signs over the past year that he wants out. Even when he talks about his time in Toronto he talks in past tense. As for the Maple Leafs, in Treliving’s season ending press conference he stated a few times that it was Marner’s choice to stay or not.
Afp1961
June 1, 2025 at 11:46 am
Marner was the local kid done good. Media spun that for many years. Yeah he could put up regular season numbers and spoke of his love for Toronto. Fans bought into this, but as the years have worn on many have finally figured out he will not lead this team to the promise land. Even the media stories are far more written towards an exit than remaining. All this plays into fans opinions and slant. It’s as simple as that….