Because the Toronto Maple Leafs participated within the handshake line following their Recreation 7 additional time loss to the Boston Bruins, a merciless actuality set in. It lastly could also be time to make some vital adjustments to the workforce’s roster after one other opening-round playoff exit.
The Maple Leafs fell to the Bruins in a hard-fought seven-game collection that culminated Saturday. Clearly, Toronto was with out the companies of star middle Auston Matthews for 2 video games through the collection as he handled an unknown sickness.
Whereas the Maple Leafs did win a pair of video games with out Matthews within the lineup, it definitely wasn’t as a consequence of an offensive barrage over that two-game stretch. In reality, the Maple Leafs averaged simply 1.71 objectives over the complete collection.
Over time, Toronto has put quite a lot of religion of their core group of Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner, and it has little or no to point out for it.
“We have been by so much collectively,” Matthews stated relating to Toronto’s core group. “I imply, ultimately, it is a recreation of inches [and] we’ve not fairly gotten over that hump. However clearly, by the years, you develop and we have come extraordinarily shut.”
Throughout their time collectively, the Maple Leafs trio has received only one playoff collection, which got here towards the Tampa Bay Lightning within the opening spherical of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In any case, this was a franchise that hadn’t been victorious in a postseason collection for the reason that 2003-04 marketing campaign previous to that win.
Matthews and Nylander each signed large contract extension during the last calendar 12 months, so it is apparent neither is packing their luggage to go elsewhere anytime quickly. Nonetheless, one thing has bought to vary after one other 12 months of failing to make a deep run at a Stanley Cup.
It is time to shake issues up and try to maneuver on from one of many workforce’s prime property in Marner.
Marner does have a no-movement clause in his contract, so dealing him would not precisely be the best activity to undertake for the Maple Leafs entrance workplace. Nonetheless, it could be greatest for each events to half methods at this level.
Through the collection, Marner tallied only one objective and two assists. He registered an help in Video games 3 and 5, whereas scoring a third-period objective in Recreation 4.
Nonetheless, Marner’s effort on each ends of the ice left a little bit to be desired at numerous factors, together with within the guts of Saturday’s Recreation 7.
For instance, Marner discovered himself on the defensive finish of the play when Bruins star David Pastrnak scored the game-winning objective in additional time of Recreation 7. Marner was back-checking on Pastrnak within the impartial zone, however let Pastrnak blow by him and get in place to attain the game-winning objective off a dump-in from Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm.
Pastrnak turned on the jets on the play, and Marner’s teammates definitely did not do him any favors. There is not any assure Marner would’ve been in a position to muscle Pastrnak off the puck if he had a little bit little bit of backup, but it surely nonetheless wasn’t a very good search for Marner to be beat like that.
The 2024-25 season is the ultimate 12 months of Marner’s contract, and he carries a $10.9 million cap hit in that last 12 months. It is not going to be any simple activity to maneuver that sort of a contract.
Regardless of his lackluster postseason, Marner continues to be a sensational top-six ahead able to serving to one other workforce. The veteran winger tallied at the very least 85 factors in every of his previous three seasons, together with recording 26 objectives and 59 assists in 2023-24.
One thing has to vary with the Maple Leafs’ roster, and transferring Marner simply makes an excessive amount of sense. If Toronto can discover a commerce companion that Marner is prepared to go to, it will be for the most effective for each events.
