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Another season, another heartbreaking Game 7 loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs. You'd think that by now, their fans would be used to the pain and frustration of constantly falling short in the postseason, but this latest loss in a winner-take-all game hurts a little more.
The Maple Leafs roster that left the ice in dejected fashion to a smattering of boos from the fans who hadn't already left Scotiabank Arena last Sunday evening is likely going to be without a few key names when the club reconvenes in the fall for the start of the 2025-26 NHL season.
The name on everyone's mind happens to be a player who has spent his entire NHL career wearing the crest of the Maple Leafs on his chest – Ontario native Mitch Marner.
Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner's contract expires on July 1
Marner has been able to live out the kind of career in the near-last decade that most kids growing up idolizing the Toronto Maple Leafs could only dream of. A fan of the Leafs growing up as a child, the Leafs drafted Marner in the 2015 NHL Draft with the fourth overall selection, with the expectation that he'd become a core player for them to build around.
And for the most part, Marner has lived up to expectations – at least, during the regular season. He's been one of the most consistent point producers on the team, which was why former Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas saw fit to reward his efforts with a six-year contract extension in September 2019 with a $10.9 million cap hit.
At the time, it made sense for both parties. As an Ontario native who grew up rooting for the Leafs, Marner expressed joy in the fact that he was going to be around for the following six seasons, via NHL.com.
“I'm from Toronto, I live here and I play here as well,” Marner said. “There's pressure in that always. You don't think about it, you just go out there and play hockey like I have my whole life.”
“We have a great [team] here, the training staff as well and everything else. They're going to make sure that every night you come out ready to play and ready for the games. As a player, I want to make sure every night I'm ready to play, no matter whom I'm up against, the minutes or everything like that, that every time you're on the ice you try and make something happen and try to win.”
He routinely led the Leafs to impressive regular season campaigns, and he's never missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But Marner's play in the postseason that has come into question.
Why Maple Leafs must re-sign Mitch Marner after Panthers loss
While it's true that Marner's play in the postseason has faced criticism, he's not the only player on the Leafs that didn't elevate their game with the season on the line and it wouldn't be fair to lay the blame solely at his feet.
Marner is up for a new contract this offseason, and while many fans and analysts are calling for a divorce between the two sides after a nearly decade-long relationship, the Leafs, led by general manager Brad Treliving, need to give serious thought to bringing Marner back for another go-around.
Marner reached new heights with his play in the regular season in 2024-25, scoring 27 goals with 75 assists for a new career-high output of 102 points. It goes without saying that players who reach the 100-point threshold, seemingly with ease because of their raw talent and skill, don't grow on trees and don't come around that often.
There are several teams throughout the NHL that would kill to have a player like Marner, who creates offense at will and seems to genuinely have fun while playing the game. It's true that Marner didn't deliver for the Leafs in the second half of the series against the Panthers, which ended with another heartbreaking Game 7 loss to end their season, but as mentioned, he wasn't the only one.
The Maple Leafs just completed their first season under new head coach Craig Berube, who won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. He's not Sheldon Keefe, who went on record after being let go by the Leafs last offseason that he treated Marner differently.
Another season under Berube could very well benefit Marner, especially in the postseason. At 28 years old, Marner also has much more hockey left in him than his 34-year-old teammate John Tavares.
The Maple Leafs are already going in a new direction at the top after the departure of Team President Brendan Shanahan, but Marner should remain with the club to try and finish what they set out to accomplish.
