Blade of Steel has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL or NHLPA
Elliotte Friedman Reveals Why Mitch Marner Really Left the Toronto Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Imagn Images
Mitch Marner is no longer a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and according to Elliotte Friedman, there was a breaking point that made this possible.
Just a couple of years ago, Mitch Marner was a beloved player on the Toronto Maple Leafs. While he did receive his fair share of criticism, there were plenty of fans out there ready to defend him.
Unfortunately, this past season, things got a bit too crazy. Even after scoring 102 points in the regular season, the superstar winger was unable to live up to the moment in the postseason.
His performances in games five through seven against the Florida Panthers were abysmal, and some fans were about ready to ship him out of town.
Elliotte Friedman on Mitch Marner
Ahead of free agency, Marner had made it pretty clear that he was leaving and that the Las Vegas Golden Knights were his preferred destination. The Leafs managed a sign-and-trade, and the rest is history.
On the most recent episode of '32 Thoughts', Elliotte Friedman spoke on the Marner situation, and how players around the league actually pitied him. Some even wondered if the Marner news cycle would ever end.
I think it just became too much of a distraction, I had a player tell me...when the trade deadline was done...the report came out about the trade with Carolina...players said "Is this ever going to end?"
According to Friedman's report, Marner likely left because the distractions were becoming too much, and he needed a real reset.
While Toronto can be a tough market, it is because the fans are just passionate. They want a championship, and they want players who will fight for it.
Unfortunately, Mitch Marner was not the player the Leafs needed him to be, and it was time to move on for all parties involved.
Whether or not the Leafs come out of this as a better team, still remains to be seen.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 8 | 416 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman Reveals Why Mitch Marner Really Left the Toronto Maple Leafs Do you believe Mitch Marner will stay hated by Toronto Maple Leafs fans? | ||
| YES | 309 | 74.3 % |
| NO | 107 | 25.7 % |
| List of polls | ||