The debate surrounding Mitch Marner’s legacy in Toronto has taken on a life of its own, with every new comment seeming to reopen another chapter from his Maple Leafs career.
What started as criticism of the organization’s handling of Marner has now expanded into questions about the people around him and the role they played behind the scenes.
The discussions are on the rise once again this summer, and headlines of the past are being viewed through a different lens. This shift led one longtime Toronto voice to make a striking claim involving Connor McDavid.
Steve Dangle Underlines Mitch Marner’s Camp’s Inclination Toward Connor McDavid
The current debate surrounding Marner started when his longtime agent, Darren Ferris, revisited incidents from Marner’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He did so during his appearance on PuckPedia this week, where he criticized the organization for how it handled the star winger throughout his tenure.
Ferris argued that the team failed Marner from the beginning by refusing to include Schedule B performance bonuses in his entry-level contract, later leaving him exposed to relentless criticism and never publicly standing behind him during difficult stretches.
These comments prompted renewed discussion, but Steve Dangle focused on what he believes was an even bigger issue behind the scenes.
Speaking on the SDPN Sports Network, the Toronto insider claimed that Marner’s inner circle constantly measured his career against McDavid’s.
“They grew up playing elite hockey against Connor McDavid. And I know for a fact people around him were obsessed with Connor McDavid. Obsessed with him. Obsessed with him.”
Dangle suggested that those comparisons from Marner’s youth hockey days followed him into the NHL. In his view, Marner appeared set to become the centerpiece of the Maple Leafs after being selected fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, but Auston Matthews’ arrival (first overall in 2016) changed the internal dynamic surrounding the franchise.
“Then he finally gets drafted by the Leafs. He’s the future of the Leafs, and he’s in junior, and he’s doing great. And then Auston arrives. And you found a new thing to hate.”
Adam Wylde pushed back by noting that the relationship between Marner and Matthews was never the problem.
“Not Mitch though, Mitch and him are friends,” Wylde said.
But Dangle continued arguing that members of the winger’s camp often escalated disputes through the media, particularly during contentious contract negotiations, creating unnecessary friction with both reporters and fans.
“What a horrible friend,” Dangle said. “With friends like that, who needs enemies? Adam has never sent someone after me in the newspaper. Like, to talk about how I make too much [expletive] money.”
The timing of these remarks is important because they come just days after Ferris reignited debate over Marner’s years in Toronto, arguing that the organization never properly protected his client and mishandled key moments throughout his career.
He said, “Him and his family criticized after every loss, receiving threats on social media, which was disturbing.”
While Ferris sought to defend Marner’s reputation, Dangle painted a different picture, suggesting the comparisons with McDavid and later Matthews fueled much of the tension that surrounded Marner’s time with the Maple Leafs.
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Even after Marner’s move to the Vegas Golden Knights on an eight-year, $96 million contract, the conversation around his Toronto tenure remains far from finished.
