Mitch Marner’s dream of bringing a Stanley Cup to Toronto ended Monday when the Maple Leafs traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights. And he’s taking it pretty hard.
“When I was drafted, all I wanted to do was help bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto,” Marner shared on Instagram Tuesday. “I gave everything I had, but in the end, it wasn’t enough.”
It’s a tough pill to swallow for the 28-year-old star, who grew up dreaming of playing for his hometown team.
The numbers tell the story of just how good Marner was in Toronto. He racked up an incredible 741 points – 221 goals and 520 assists – over nine seasons. That’s the fifth-highest total in Maple Leafs history.
He made it to three All-Star Games and became one of the NHL’s most exciting players to watch.
But the playoffs? That’s where things got complicated.
Marner and the Leafs made the postseason every year he was there. But they never even reached the Eastern Conference Final. Their latest heartbreak came this past season when the Florida Panthers knocked them out in seven games before going on to win it all.
“I know how much this team means to this city, and I know the expectations that come with wearing this jersey,” Marner wrote. “That’s hard to admit because I wanted it so badly for all of us.”
The trade comes after Marner signed a massive eight-year, $96 million contract with Toronto. Now he’s headed to Vegas, where his chances of finally getting that Stanley Cup look pretty good.
The Golden Knights are currently sitting at +950 odds to win it all next season – the sixth-best in the NHL.
But even if Marner does end up lifting the Cup in Vegas, you get the feeling it won’t be quite the same as doing it in Toronto would have been.
