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Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Explore a Mitch Marner Trade

By Jordan Maresky

TORONTO,ON - JANUARY 22: Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to action against the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 22, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Oilers 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO,ON - JANUARY 22: Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to action against the Edmonton Oilers in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 22, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Oilers 4-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs – Mitchell Marner (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Welp. In an all-familiar fashion, the Toronto Maple Leafs 2020-21 season came to a disappointing early end, after such a promising and hopeful regular season.

Leading the Canadian division for 106 out of a total 116 days this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs set expectations significantly higher than ever before in the Shanahan/Dubas era. And management recognized that. They doubled down on the team’s impressive start by going all-in at the April 12th trade deadline, spending six draft picks to acquire Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, Ben Hutton, and David Rittich.

This team felt different. That is why this loss stings more than the previous four. There is a sense of apathy steaming from Leafsnation in the days following that epic collapse, and rightfully so. But what is so incredibly frustrating about this Toronto Maple Leafs team, this Toronto Maple Leafs playoff loss, compared to years prior, is that there is no single thing we can point to as the reason this team was unable to get it done.

“Team defense” or “Frederik Andersen” seemed to be the most common scapegoats of yesteryear, but it is hard to point to Jack Campbell or the Leafs’ three horses on the backend – Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, Jake Muzzin – as the reason we are not in the midst of a battle against the Winnipeg Jets.

No, the problem with this Toronto Maple Leafs team was that William Nylander, Alex Kerfoot, and Jason Spezza lead the team in playoff scoring.

Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner did not produce. As two of the highest-paid players on the team and in the NHL, that is unacceptable. And after not having a lead following a 4-0 win in Game Four, where do we go from here?

A roster shakeup is clearly needed.

If you are Kyle Dubas, and you receive a phone call from a rival general manager, the second Matthews’ name enters the conversation, you hang up. The reigning Rocket Richard trophy winner, the likely runner-up for the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Finalist, an all-around talent who is a top-five (three?) player in the league has come up big countless times for this team.

So that leaves us with Marner.

What do you do with the $10.903 million winger, from Markham, Ontario? As unfortunate as this situation is, it is time to stop changing the players around the margins – Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs should explore trade options for Mitch Marner.

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