Mitch Marner: From fan favorite to Toronto Maple Leafs villain

When Mitch Marner leaves for another team, he’ll be one of the highest-paid players in the NHL. Does he deserve that kind of money? Maybe. Are the Toronto Maple Leafs willing to give it to him? Definitely not, considering his disappearing acts in the playoffs.

With his departure, Marner will become one of the most hated players in Leafs history. Without a doubt, he will get booed in his return to Toronto. It may be Vince Carter-level bad at Scotiabank Arena.

And he fully deserves it.

The history

In no world should the Leafs and Marner be in this situation. Toronto has given him everything he’s asked for and more. He’s played alongside the best goal scorer of his generation for the last five years, received an inflated contract right off the bat after a disgusting negotiation on his part, and is from the city.

The hate all lies with him, and it started when he became an RFA.

For some reason, every star on the Leafs has had one goal in mind: Make as much money as possible. Win the Cup? Meh. Penny-pinching to maximize monetary gain? Yes, absolutely.

And Marner is the guiltiest.

After his ELC expired, he and his camp went on the grossest press-run negotiation in recent NHL history. His buddy Darren Dreger went on a rampage, saying he deserved over $11M, that he’d sign an offer sheet in Columbus, and that Toronto needed to give him whatever he wanted.

Well, it worked, and Marner got a ridiculously large deal after just three seasons, setting massive expectations on himself in the process.

And he has not lived up to those expectations in the slightest.

In the regular season, Marner is fantastic and worth the almost $11M he has been making. But the playoffs are a completely different story. As we all know, he’s a ghost in April. His point totals plummet, and his play-driving stops. He is not built for the postseason, and I’m glad to see him go.

Will he put it together somewhere else? Probably. But I will be so relieved never to watch him in the blue and white again.

The trade

All of this could have been undone at the trade deadline, too. After refusing to negotiate during the season, telling the Leafs he’d be walking to free agency, Marner still wouldn’t waive his no-movement clause to go to the Hurricanes.

It’s such disrespectful behaviour; to have everything you’ve ever asked for and still not negotiate, only to handcuff the team even more by saying you won’t accept a trade.

This was the final nail in the coffin, and now Marner will be the most hated ex-Leaf I’ve ever seen. 

Toronto could have had Mikko Rantanen locked up for $12M, or even Marner at $13.5M if he was willing to negotiate during the season. But no, as always, Marner put himself before the team and screwed the Leafs.

Yes, Marner negotiated a no-move clause. Yes, it’s his right to refuse a trade. But why do it if you want out? He clearly doesn’t want to be back in Toronto, so why not take a trade? It would have helped his image in his hometown and would have been a much more respectful end to his Leafs tenure.

However, that clearly doesn’t matter to him.

What now

So, now we’re here. The Leafs are letting a 100-point star walk for no return, despite trying to move him at the deadline. It’s not good asset management, but they didn’t really have a choice.

Toronto will probably take a step back next year, losing a bona fide star doesn’t exactly help the team. But as long as they make the playoffs, most of Leafs Nation will be glad to see Marner gone.

He’s going to receive the loudest booing in Leafs history, and he has earned that right. Nothing about his tenure with the Leafs will ever be seen as positive, and he needs to own that.

It’s really sad to be in this situation, but it’s no one but Marner’s fault. I for one can’t wait to hear the boo birds in his return to Scotiabank. It’s only fitting.