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The Toronto Maple Leafs lost one of the biggest names to move teams this NHL offseason. Mitch Marner is on the Vegas Golden Knights, and Toronto has exited the Core Four era. But three of those players are still with the Leafs, including William Nylander. Nylander spoke with Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com about Marner's focus on the Maple Leafs during the playoffs, and the rumors that swirled about his playoff focus instead being trained on unrestricted free agency.
“Not sure where that stuff comes from, but I don’t think he was ever thinking of leaving ahead of time,” Nylander told Zeisberger. “I actually asked him during the season, and he said he was concentrating on Toronto. I didn’t want to press him on that and let him be because it was obviously on his mind, but his play was focused on helping us. Then I asked him after the season, and he wasn’t sure.”
The Maple Leafs fell in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Florida Panthers. During that series, as became tradition, there were many criticisms of Marner's game. With just two goals in 13 games in his final postseason in Toronto, the storylines were easy to conjure up. But Nylander says he never felt like his teammate had his eyes on the summer.
Marner did not make it to July 1, as the Golden Knights traded for him ahead of free agency opening. They ensured they would sign him. He joins a team with high expectations every year, just like the Maple Leafs do. But the hometown kid storyline is gone, which could be good for his career.
Despite the disappointing playoff exit and losing Marner, Toronto has high expectations once again in 2025-26. Nylander is a big reason why, as he has a long-term contract and could help them finally win the Stanley Cup.
