Expect Toronto Maple Leafs Superstar Mitch Marner to Have Career Year

Sure there was a little blip on Mitch Marner's path to being the most beloved player in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but I guarantee you that no one will remember it later.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will finally put to bed their playoff issues and Mitch Marner will have a career year in 2024-25.

Marner as an outcast pariah that everyone blames (erroneously) for the Leafs troubles?

That sentiment will be remembered as well and as fondly as the criticism that proceeded Nathan MacKinnon's ninth NHL season.

Expect Toronto Maple Leafs Superstar Mitch Marner to Have Career Year

The Leafs can't trade Marner because they will lose the trade and, not only that, but they would also alienate Auston Matthews, which they cannot do.

If they were smart, and there is precious little evidence that they are, they'd take the PR hit this summer and sign him to an eight-year extension before he breaks out and they have to pay him even more next year.

Whatever happens, only two things are sure: Marner will be on the Leafs in October, and he will have his best season ever.

A lot of the Marner criticism is due to bad luck. He's been on pace for 100 points in each of the past four seasons, but something has come up every year to prevent him from hitting the magical milestone.

And the Playoffs? Just as unlucky, as Marner has had to deal with Auston Matthews being injured or sick in three of the last four playoffs.

Then there is the little problem of going 18 straight playoff games without a goal, which really sucks, but is also extremely unlucky. It is doubtful Marner ever has before, or ever will go 18 games without a goal for the rest of his life.

If not for all that bad luck, people might realize how good he is. Instead of saying he stinks in the playoffs, they might acknowledge that he's one of the leading point-per-game scoreres in the playoffs of his generation.

They might acknowledge his goal suppression or the fact that the Leafs played to about a 55% xGF when he's been on the ice.

Mitch Marner is an awesome player. He is just one good playoff season away from being a universally acknowledged top-ten player in the NHL and the second-best member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the history of their franchise.

Don't buy-in to the group-think mob-mentality that blames Marner for everything. He didn't choose to keep Ilya Samsonov on the roster, he didn't choose to sit out the trade deadline and he can't help it that he came back a month early and played the entire playoffs on one leg.

I have never met Mitch personally, but I've been writing about him since the day he was drafted. I feel like I do know him, and the guy I think I know is going to be extremely motivated to have his best season ever.

Mitch Marner didn't become the best home-grown player in the history of the NHL's most storied franchise by quitting when the going got tough. He is going to take what people are saying about him and turn it into a 140 point season where he scores 40 times, and gets nominated for both the Hart and Selke Trophies.

Marner is going to cement his status as the second-best player in franchise history and he's going to do it next year.