The story of the Toronto Maple Leafs over the past decade is inseparable from the rise of their three stand out prospects of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. When these three arrived—Matthews from a record-breaking stint with the U.S. National Team and a pro season in Switzerland, Marner as a London Knights superstar and Memorial Cup MVP, and Nylander as a Swedish hotshot with pro experience in the SHL—they were talked about as the answer to the Leafs problems and fans hoped they were the solution that would finally lift Toronto out of its long championship drought.
In 2025, as Marner hits the 100-point mark for the first time and his contract nearly expired, it marks a good moment for reflection on whether these three have truly become what Leafs fans hoped for when they were just prospects.
From the beginning of this new chapter for the Leafs, the trio’s promise was unmistakable. Matthews, drafted first overall in 2016, scored four goals in his NHL debut—a feat never before seen in the modern era—and finished his rookie season with 40 goals, breaking franchise records and winning the Calder Trophy. Marner, drafted fourth overall a year earlier, brought his electrifying playmaking and fierce energy from the OHL, where he’d dominated with the Knights, winning every major junior award and leading his team to a Memorial Cup. Nylander, selected eighth overall in 2014, was already a seasoned pro in Sweden before finding success in the AHL and quickly making his mark with the Leafs.
In the years since, all three have worked hard to shine in the NHL and become elite talents. Matthews has become one of the world’s premier goal scorers, setting an NHL salary cap era record with 69 goals in 2023-24 and winning the Rocket Richard Trophy three times in four years.
Marner, after years of being among the league’s most creative and productive assist getters, finally reached the 100-point plateau in 2025, cementing his place among the best playmakers today has to offer. Nylander, too, has flourished into a consistent top-line threat, earning All-Star nods and notching three 40-goal seasons in a row.
Individually, the trio has delivered on the immense expectations placed upon them. Their offensive numbers rival any top forward group in the NHL, and their highlight-reel moments have filled arenas and inspired a new generation of Leafs fans. They have become the faces of the franchise, the jerseys you see along the streets of Toronto, and the stars that young players aspire to be like.
How have the Core Three turned out?
For all their regular-season and individual success, the collective hope has not translated into playoff glory. Since Matthews, Marner, and Nylander joined forces, the Leafs have made the postseason every year but have managed just one series win—a bitter pill for a fanbase that once dreamed of multiple Stanley Cups with this core.
Playoff exits have come in every imaginable way: blown leads, hot goaltenders, and at times, the trio themselves going cold under the spotlight. The pressure in Toronto is the highest in the NHL, and as Marner recently acknowledged, “We can always improve, especially considering our playoff history. We’re not content with merely qualifying and the results we’ve achieved. It’s about maintaining belief; we know we have it. It’s about executing and remaining patient, understanding that not every game will go smoothly.”
Now, with Marner’s contract up and the possibility that this is the Core Three's final run together, the stakes have never been higher. Nylander is locked in long-term, Matthews is the captain and face of the franchise, but Marner’s future is uncertain. The sense of urgency has never been so high—not just for the players, but for the entire organization and its fans.
Looking back, Matthews, Marner, and Nylander have become everything the Leafs hoped for as individuals: point getters, leaders, and perennial All-Stars. But the ultimate measure of their legacy in Toronto will be whether they can finally deliver when it matters most.
As the 2025 playoffs approach, the city waits, once again, for its stars to turn potential into history. If this is indeed their last dance together, it’s a final chance for this Core Three to lead the Leafs towards a Stanley Cup and cement the legacy fans imagined for them, the Toronto Maple Leafs that would end the fifty year Stanley Cup Drought.