Blade of Steel has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL or NHLPA
Auston Matthews Gets Brutally Honest About Mitch Marner Leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has finally spoken out on the departure of Mitch Marner, a move that has shaken the franchise to its core.
Over a month ago, Mitch Marner made the biggest decision of his career by leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
The Maple Leafs helped Marner move to his new destination thanks to a sign-and-trade, although the ripple effects of this trade are still ongoing.
Now, captain Auston Matthews will have to carry the team on his back, and there is no telling whether or not this Leafs team can make a deep run.
Having said that, Matthews was participating in the Hockey Night in Brampton charity game on Wednesday, and this was the perfect opportunity to speak on the Marner situation.
Auston Matthews on Mitch Marner
According to David Alter of The Hockey News, Matthews was very honest about Marner leaving, but he was also realistic.
Simply put, don't expect him to get too emotional about things. Instead, he is keeping an even keel.
We'll obviously miss him. He's a great friend, great teammate. That's kind of the business side of it. That's tough, but obviously I wish him nothing but the best, and yeah, we've just got to keep it moving.
Overall, you have to appreciate Matthews for this answer. He is not going to be throwing any of his former teammates under the bus.
Instead, he wants to be fair to Marner, who did what was best for himself and his entire family.
Ultimately, Matthews and the Leafs will have to keep moving forward, and we cannot wait to see how things progress.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 20 | 148 ANSWERS Auston Matthews Gets Brutally Honest About Mitch Marner Leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs Do you believe Mitch Marner will be missed by the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 95 | 64.2 % |
| NO | 53 | 35.8 % |
| List of polls | ||