The Toronto Maple Leafs community bid adieu to former franchise standout Mitch Marner after the winger signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Marner grew up a Leafs fan, and after nine seasons with the team, which cemented his reputation across the league, the 28-year-old embarked upon a new chapter in his career.
Many saw Marner’s move coming; however, seeing a former Leafs icon donning the Golden Knights jersey is no small feat. Former Leafs captain Darryl Sittler is just as affected as the next person by Marner’s exit from the Toronto outfit.
Mitch Marner’s Exit Has Been Difficult on Former Maple Leafs Captain Darryl Sittler
Marner’s farewell marked the conclusion of an era for the Maple Leafs. Not only was the winger one of the team’s core four, but at an individual level, the 28-year-old has been a consistent producer who displayed flashes of brilliance since the first season of his NHL career.
In his final open letter to the Leafs nation, Marner stated how bringing a Stanley Cup to Toronto had always been his objective. Now that he has taken his championship aspirations elsewhere, the Leafs community struggles to grasp it.
According to a poll by The Athletic, many NHL fans have shown declining confidence in the Maple Leafs following Marner’s departure. Even though Toronto GM Brad Treliving has assured that the team has moved on from the winger, Sittler has confessed that Marner’s brilliance was such that the team is bound to feel his absence.
“Mitch was such a part of our team, such a great player. You talk about his goals, assists, and creativity, which were awesome to watch, but he was very good defensively. He was an all-around player.” I guess for Mitch, sometimes these things happen and he’s moving on. We’ll miss him here,” Sittler said at a Maple Leafs media availability at RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton.
Sittler’s words insinuate that even though Marner has perhaps moved on from the Leafs, the Toronto community will miss him earnestly.
Like Marner, the former captain had played for the London Knights before joining the Maple Leafs. The familiarity between Sittler and Marner could have been why the former captain was adversely affected by Marner’s exit.
“It must have been particularly hard for Sittler to witness Marner’s departure this past summer. He’s always talked up his fellow first-round London Knights pick, who had moved to fifth in franchise scoring within 175 points of passing him. Marner leaves for Vegas under a dark cloud of discontent,” wrote Lance Hornby for the Toronto Sun.
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Despite the elite winger’s absence, Sittler remains hopeful about the future. “Maybe this is the year, finally, those hockey gods will be with us.” Despite his veteran status, Sittler has yet to witness the team win the Stanley Cup; when he joined the Leafs in 1970, the drought was merely three years old.
However, as years go by, the most expensive franchise in the league repeatedly falls short of other contenders. Will the 2025-26 season be the season when things finally change for the Leafs?
