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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason plan to replace Mitch Marner’s production has actually worked as the numbers show.
A few months ago, a piece here on Heavy discussed the Toronto Maple Leafs’ efforts to replace Mitch Marner’s production.
The offseason plan was to replace Marner with a trio of players: Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Nic Roy. Since finding a 100-point scorer was pretty much impossible, the plan was to break up those 100 points among various players.
At the time, the media scoffed at the idea of replacing Marner with a trio of depth pieces. But looking at the numbers, the move actually worked.
Let’s start with Maccelli. After a rough start, Maccelli has picked up his offensive performance. He’s now got 14 goals and 23 assists for 37 points in 63 games. That’s not mind-blowing, but it’s good enough for a middle-six spot with the Maple Leafs.
Now, let’s look at Joshua. The 29-year-old has missed some time with various injuries. In 51 games, nonetheless, he’s chipped in 10 goals and 17 points. He’s been pretty much a bottom-six grinder who’s shown some occasional flashes of brilliance on the offensive side of the puck.
Lastly, there was Nic Roy. Roy, of course, is no longer with the team. But in his 59 games with the Maple Leafs this season, he scored five goals and totaled 20 points.
When adding up the numbers, the Maple Leafs have gotten 29 goals and 45 assists for 74 points. If that were a single player’s totals, the club would be happy. Alas, the numbers correspond to three players.
The fun part is comparing those numbers to Marner.
Marner Has Not Outdone Maple Leafs Counterparts
In 73 games this season, the former Maple Leafs star has 20 goals and 51 assists for 71 points. As such, Marner has produced fewer overall points than his replacements.
That situation signals that the Maple Leafs’ plan to replace Marner actually worked. Few thought it would, but it has.
Interestingly, that production takes into account one player that’s not even on the team anymore. Had the Maple Leafs kept Roy, the tally could have increased.
It’s also worth considering that the trio produced the numbers they did while enduring tough bottom-six minutes, injuries, and landing in the press box. Had Maccelli, Joshua, and Roy had productive seasons, the numbers would be much different.
Numbers Inflated by Down Year from Marner
The other side of this equation is that Marner has had a down year by his standards. In his last four full seasons with the Maple Leafs, Marner’s lowest point total was 85. That was during the 2023-24 season in which the 28-year-old missed significant time due to an ankle injury.
That’s why this season’s numbers seem like a significant drop off from the ones with the Maple Leafs. Unfortunately for Vegas, it’s been a down year across the board. While the club remains a decent playoff team, its performance hasn’t been quite what fans and pundits would have expected.
All told, it’s interesting to see that the questionable plan Toronto had to replace Marner has actually worked out. At least one thing has worked in what has been an otherwise forgettable season.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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