Mitch Marner
With the Maple Leafs not getting a contract extension done with star winger Mitch Marner over the course of the 2024-25 NHL season, many believed that his days with the organization could be numbered. What also didn’t help was the fact that information had leaked out revealing that the Leafs were considering to trade Marner in their attempt to acquire star winger Mikko Rantanen early this year.
Nevertheless, the trade deal fell through and Marner remained with Toronto with no extension in place heading into the upcoming offseason, making him a pending free agent. Through it all, the 27-year-old winger managed to finally register his first 100-point season with 27 goals and 75 assists for 102 points over 81 games played in 2024-25. Also, as the key player setting up Connor McDavid’s game-winner in the 4 Nations Face-off tournament to help Canada secure the victory, many were expecting Marner to carry that big-game experience into the playoffs this year with the Leafs.
So far, Marner’s offensive output in the Leafs’ playoff run had been decent, compiling one goal and six assists for seven points in five matches. However, he has come up short once again in elimination games thus far just as in years’ past, recording just one assist and being on the ice for all four goals against in Game 5 in their disheartening defeat at the hands of the Senators.
For Marner to prove his true value and land his next big, multi-year contract, he will need to show the Leafs that he can come up big when it matters most. As a result, if he continues to remain small when the going gets tough and Toronto gets surprisingly eliminated, it would likely mean the end of the Marner era in Leafs land as well.