Mitch Marner, Stanley Cup finalist. Let that sink in for one of the most talented, yet polarizing players in the history of the Maple Leafs. After nine years of frustration in Toronto, Marner has finally advanced past the third round and now the fourth round of the team trophy hunt, often deemed the toughest in professional sports.
He is four wins away from the ultimate prize, but he will not pursue that title shot in the harsh Toronto spotlight. Instead, he is an integral piece of the Vegas Golden Knights, where he moved last summer. Marner could duplicate what Phil Kessel, Nazem Kadri, and coach Pat Burns all achieved after leaving the Leafs under a cloud: hoisting the Stanley Cup.
After receiving plaudits for his teammates following Tuesday night's 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche, which swept the Presidents' Trophy winners in the Western Conference final, Marner's thoughts turned to his hockey journey. The first-round pick of the Leafs in 2015 became the fifth-highest scorer in franchise history, but he was under fire for a lack of production in Leaf playoff appearances, particularly in many heartbreaking elimination games.
The hot debate over whether Marner was unfairly singled out when the collective Leaf 'Core Four' failed helped lead him to Vegas in a sign-and-trade a year ago. Because Marner blocked at least one trade late in the '24-25 season that would have helped the Leafs, the narrative among the majority of fans was that the team would be better off without him. However, Toronto general manager Brad Treliving miscalculated the loss of the 100-point right winger in the regular season, unable to replace him with one player or by committee. Treliving lost his job, the Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time since Marner arrived, and now he is playing into June.
After the sweep, Marner told Sportsnet: "Oh man, so many people to thank. Obviously my parents. There have been some dark moments in my hockey career, really. Tough moments where my parents have been beside me and my wife, so many friends and family. I have a lot of love for them, they keep me going and my year-old son as well. I'm going to share this with them right now, then get to work and be ready to go to face the winner of Montreal-Carolina in the final. You have to have people around who are amazing and love you and that's what my parents are to me and my wife, my wife's parents, my good buddies, people who've worked with me through mental stuff. It's never a one-man battle. All the teammates that I've had, it's been a great road and hopefully the road keeps going."
Marner did not get a point on Tuesday, but played 22:22, was a minus one with two shots on net. He continues to top the league in post-season production with 21 points in 16 games, putting him in the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation as playoff MVP.
