{"id":402148,"date":"2026-01-11T18:47:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T18:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/402148\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T18:47:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T18:47:16","slug":"what-the-maple-leafs-gained-by-letting-marner-go-the-hockey-writers-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/402148\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Maple Leafs Gained by Letting Marner Go – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since entering the NHL after being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>, Mitch Marner has been a point-per-game player who\u2019s strong both offensively and defensively. More of an assist guy than a natural goal-scorer, he dazzled fans with flashy passes, and he played top-line minutes for his entire career in Toronto. But he also frustrated fans with his lack of production during the playoffs and the perception that he was a bit of an entitled young guy, more interested in his own paycheque than the welfare of the team.<\/p>\n

Related: Maple Leafs Shut Out Canucks 5-0, Extend Point Streak to 9 Games<\/a><\/p>\n

By the end of his tenure with the team, many fans began to wonder whether the Maple Leafs would be better off without him. <\/p>\n

Last Week, Brad Marchand Bumped into the Same Question<\/p>\n

Brad Marchand, speaking last week before his Florida Panthers took the ice to face Toronto, sort of nudged into that same question when he suggested that the fans<\/a> in Toronto \u201cran Marner out of town.\u201d The comment was meant to underscore what the Maple Leafs, as a team, had lost when the 100-point player was traded<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"MitchMitch Marner is now playing with the Vegas Golden Knights. (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

While Marchand didn\u2019t specifically say the Maple Leafs were better without him, he planted the seed indirectly. It\u2019s an idea worth engaging with. So, stated directly, are the Maple Leafs a better team now than when Marner played 20 minutes per night on the first line with Auston Matthews?<\/p>\n

With Marner No Longer Around, How Did the Maple Leafs Need to Change?<\/p>\n

To answer that question, fans must consider what the team looks like now. The obvious difference is that the Maple Leafs are not currently in a playoff position. That never happened with a Toronto team with Marner in its lineup. The team\u2019s recent run of success\u2014a nine-game point streak\u2014puts them close, however. Does this mean the team has turned the corner on the season? We\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

Related: Nobody Saw Matias Maccelli\u2019s Rise With the Maple Leafs<\/a><\/p>\n

The team without Marner had to change the way it played. Specifically, without Marner, the Maple Leafs were forced to simplify. With Marner on the ice, the puck gravitated to his stick. On the current team, the puck doesn\u2019t stop with one player. Young forwards, from Easton Cowan<\/a> to Matthew Knies<\/a>, have more responsibility in the top six. Lines are more balanced.<\/p>\n

\"EastonEaston Cowan, Toronto Maple Leafs (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

With one fewer elite player, everyone else has to earn their ice on the team. Everyone else has to earn his ice, contribute to the system, and think two steps ahead rather than relying on a star like Marner to conjure his magic. That\u2019s a different kind of hockey\u2014less dazzling, but perhaps harder to break down than when Marner took the ice.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s Also the Question of the Maple Leafs\u2019 Structure<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also the shift in team culture. Marner\u2019s departure freed coaches and teammates to prioritize structure, defensive accountability, and shared responsibility. We saw it against the Panthers and again in the next two games against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Vancouver Canucks. The team played more disciplined hockey, had better gap control, and benefited from timely contributions from both primary and secondary scorers.<\/p>\n

Related: Frank Mahovlich: Highs & Lows of a Hall of Fame Career<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s an argument that team cohesion can get lost when a single playmaker, such as Marner, dominates attention and ice time. In a league that punishes lapses ruthlessly, structure matters almost as much as flash. Perhaps that fact, more than the narrative that \u201cMarner didn\u2019t show up in the playoffs,\u201d was the difference between postseason success and postseason failure.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s Also the Question of the Player Opportunity<\/p>\n

Another factor is opportunity. The Maple Leafs now have young, hungry players stepping into roles that might have been blocked or overshadowed. You could argue these new leaders are finding their stride because Marner is gone. A case in point is Nicholas Robertson, whose goal last night put him into double figures (10) with the same point total (22) in 42 games this season that he put up last season in 69 games. The way Robertson is playing now gives him a chance to double that point total by season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

\"NickNicholas Robertson, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin<\/a> \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

Sometimes a vacuum produces innovation; sometimes it forces growth. For this Maple Leafs team, the change in personnel has already reshaped who touches the puck, how shifts flow, and which players feel pressure to rise to the occasion.<\/p>\n

No Question, Marner Was an Elite Hockey Talent<\/p>\n

Honestly, Marner was a star. His point-per-game production mattered. But hockey is messy. Chemistry, balance, and depth can be just as vital as raw talent. Right now, the Maple Leafs are seeing the trade-off play out in real time. <\/p>\n

Related: Scott Laughton\u2019s Impact on the Maple Leafs Goes Beyond the Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n

The third line of Nicolas Roy, Robertson, and Cowan is a metaphor for the season. It\u2019s a curious line combination that is beginning to gain chemistry. A disciplined veteran center who never seems anything but calm with the puck, mentoring two youngsters who are beginning to get a feel for the NHL game. It\u2019s a disciplined, more structured approach that helps the team develop younger players, spread responsibilities, and learn to win without relying on one player to do it all.<\/p>\n

Could the Maple Leafs Actually Be Stronger Without Marner?<\/p>\n

So, could the Maple Leafs actually be better without Marner? The answer is complicated. Better doesn\u2019t mean perfect. It doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re more dangerous, only that they\u2019re evolving in ways that weren\u2019t possible with him in the lineup. For now, the question hangs there\u2014the elephant in the room\u2014and fans, media, and the team itself will be forced to confront it as the season unfolds.<\/p>\n

Without Marner, the Maple Leafs aren\u2019t guaranteed a playoff spot\u2014they\u2019re still chasing. A star like he was matters. But sometimes, losing a key player forces a team to do something new. It creates space to learn, to adjust, and to discover what kind of team it really can be.<\/p>\n

Should the Maple Leafs secure a playoff spot, is there a chance they will enter the postseason with a better chance of success? How fun would it be to watch?<\/p>\n

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