When recently traded forward Ryan Reaves said, “…the whole city wanted me out of there,” it confirmed something that most fans already knew was true about Toronto — it’s not the easiest place to play.
Reaves’ exit came after Mitch Marner chose to leave via free agency, ditching his hometown Leafs for the tax-free spotlight in Vegas. New challenges await Marner, but the lights shine in a different way there. Ryan O’Reilly chose to go to Nashville after trying Toronto. Luke Schenn left, too. Others have struggled under the pressure cooker that is the center of the hockey universe. As Marner said, “You get treated like gods” when things are great. When they aren’t, it’s another story.
Reaves wasn’t being overly dramatic—he was being honest. And, as much as Leafs fans and the team are fine to see him leave (along with his overpriced contract), his exit does raise a very valid question: How will these new faces handle the pressure?
Among the new faces are Matias Maccelli, Nicolas Roy, Henry Thrun, and a few others. None have played in an environment like Toronto, and all are expected to be, fairly or unfairly, part of the solution to the problem of the loss of Marner’s production.
Toronto is a different team than they were just a few short weeks ago. Pressure gets added to Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Matthew Knies will be expected to pull more weight. John Tavares took a big discount, but he’ll need to show up again. If each doesn’t do as much or more than they’ve done in the past, the narrative will be about the loss of Marner.
An already high-pressure situation gets even more intense.
The question now is if GM Brad Treliving added players who can handle what’s coming. Maccelli had a down season. What if he doesn’t rebound? What if Roy can’t turn 15 goals into 20?
Does this version of the Maple Leafs have the mental wherewithal to withstand a market that eats its players alive? One would think that if anyone could handle the rigors of playing in Toronto, it was tough-guy Ryan Reaves. He was pretty vocal about how challenging it was. What does that mean for the new faces who will have higher expectations placed on them? Not only is Marner gone, but not going further in the playoffs is unacceptable.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!