For the first time in his career, Mitch Marner will wear an NHL jersey that does not feature the famed Maple Leaf. After nine eventful seasons in Toronto, Marner decided Sin City was his best bet to continue his career, joining the Vegas Golden Knights in a $96 million sign-and-trade.
Marner’s exit was a hotly debated affair that divided the fanbase across the board. However, it remains to be seen how Toronto fares without the player who was once a crucial member of their Core Four, along with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares.
During his final days on the team, there was speculation that Marner was far from focused on giving his best. Head coach Craig Berube has now come forward with his opinion on that subject.
Was Mitch Marner Mentally Resigned from The Maple Leafs During The Playoffs?
Everyone remembers when Matthews made the infamous remark, “We had too many passengers,” after the Leafs’ 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second round. The Leafs captain insinuated that the team had few drivers to take charge, but more passengers: immobilized and passive.
Consequently, Marner revealed later that he and his wife discussed the Vegas lifestyle with players from the Golden Knights during Marner’s Four Nations campaign. Although the winger added that he did not seriously consider moving to the Golden Knights at that moment, Leafs fans theorized that Matthews’ “passengers” remark had a lot to do with Marner’s diminished interest in playing for the Toronto outfit; fans thought the forward was already enticed to join the Knights and stopped playing his best for the Leafs’ interest.
However, Craig Berube thinks otherwise, as he outlined during an appearance on “100% Hockey with Millard and Shannon.” Berube’s reply was far from affirmative when asked whether he noticed changes in Marner’s performance throughout the season that indicated his rapidly declining interest in being at Toronto.
“I didn’t see it weighing on Mitch during the season. I think he handled it extremely well throughout the year. At the deadline, I saw his game drop off a bit, but other than that, I didn’t see it weighing on him throughout the season at all,” replied Berube.
He further stated that Marner was the least of his worries when he played for the Maple Leafs. “People may not realize this but he was very low-maintenance for me as a coach. It’s not like I had to go and talk to him about a lot of different things.”
Despite Marner’s highly contentious exit from Toronto, many fans indicated their lack of confidence in the franchise after the winger left. This could be because Toronto management has failed to find a replacement of Marner’s caliber.
