Maple Leafs never got what they needed from Mitch Marner when it mattered

At long last, the Mitch Marner saga is finally over in Toronto following a sign-and-trade that sent the dynamic forward to the Vegas Golden Knights for the next eight years. It should have been a fairytale ending for Marner and his hometown Maple Leafs, but his tenure Toronto comes to a close with animosity and unfulfilled potential.

Marner was nothing short of elite for the Maple Leafs, at least by regular-season standards. In 657 games, he scored 221 goal and added 520 assists for 741 total points, which is good for fifth on the Leafs' all-time scoring list. Add in his Selke-caliber defensive play, and Marner was everything Toronto needed him to be and more.

But Marner's stellar regular-season numbers still weren't enough to overcome the narrative around his playoff performance. In 70 career postseason games, Marner had 13 goals and 50 assists for 63 points – perfectly solid totals. But for an elite, two-way forward carrying the weight of franchise cornerstone-level expectations, "perfectly solid" was never going to be good enough.

Sure, Marner's playoff woes were often overblown – that's merely a byproduct of playing in Toronto. Fair or not, the Maple Leafs fanbase expected him to lead his hometown team to postseason glory. Instead, he became the face of the "Core Four" that could never get it done in the playoffs.

Mitch Marner has an opportunity to exorcise his playoff demons with the Golden Knights

Marner absolutely needed a fresh start, and he will get that in Vegas. As a hockey market, it is Toronto's opposite in practically every way – not to mention, it's on the complete opposite side of the continent.

Vegas is betting on the change of scenery being just what the doctor ordered for Marner, and it's not a bad bet to make. There were concerns about Jack Eichel’s clutch ability and lack of playoff experience when he came to Vegas from the Buffalo Sabres, and things have turned out pretty well for him.

Instead of being a symbol of postseason failure like he was in Toronto – perhaps unfairly so – Marner represents hope and new beginnings in Vegas. And he will still be the special player he has always been – even if the Maple Leafs fanbase can't see that right now.