Since Mitch Marner’s high-profile departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, speculation has been rife that the $96 million man planned his exit well in advance.
Those rumours went unaddressed until now, with his former teammate William Nylander finally chiming in.
William Nylander Brushes Off Viral Beef Between the Two Stars During 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
In a sitdown with the NHL’s media team, Nylander weighed in on Marner’s exit and addressed the prominent rumor head-on.
“Not sure where that stuff comes from, but I don’t think he was ever thinking of leaving ahead of time,” Nylander said at the NHL/NHL Players’ Association European Player Media Tour.
“I actually asked him during the season and he said he was concentrating on Toronto. I didn’t want to press him on that and let him be because it was obviously on his mind, but his play was focused on helping us. Then I asked him after the season and he wasn’t sure.”
Nylander also addressed another rumor that Marner decided to move on after the infamous heated exchange he had with the now-Vegas Golden Knights star. The beef happened on the bench during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he told Marner to “grow up.”
“It’s hockey,” Nylander remarked. “Things happen in the heat of battle. There was too much read into that.” Their argument ended up being discussed well into the offseason, with speculation rife that Marner would indeed leave the team after the bust-up.
“We came in and played our first full season together, and our friendship just grew from there. He’s an incredible person,” he added. “And then, just being a friend on the side, an incredible guy. I could always talk to him about whatever. He’ll be missed. And for what he does on the ice, just an incredible player.”
🚨 Despite reports suggesting Mitch Marner had already made up his mind to leave the Maple Leafs midway through the season, William Nylander pushed back on the idea that Marner was looking elsewhere while still under contract. With Marner set to become an unrestricted free agent… pic.twitter.com/s7ufGQmlN6
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) August 22, 2025
Nylander’s comments come on the back of Marner’s former teammate, Auston Matthews, labeling the move as a business side of the sport.
Like Nylander, Matthews was lavish in his praise of Marner as a teammate and a friend. On the season front, the Leafs will need to match the level of production Marner brought to the table. He ended this past edition with a league career-high 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) in 81 appearances.
Toronto added the likes of Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua to bolster their offense, but it remains to be seen if they can match Marner’s prowess, which will be a notable miss this 2025-26 NHL season.
