“This city is where I grew up… I gave everything I had.” Those were Mitch Marner’s final words to Leafs Nation after being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, 2025. Just minutes earlier, he’d signed an 8-year, $96 million contract with Vegas that ended his Toronto tenure. But while his farewell post tugged at the heartstrings, not every fan was convinced.

Some believed Marner had been eyeing Vegas long before the trade and quietly distanced himself from the Leafs. His emotional words didn’t match the behind-the-scenes noise, and that contradiction left a mark. But did he really check out early, or are fans reading too much into it?

This very question exploded on a recent episode of the SDPN YouTube show, where hosts Adam Wylde, Jesse Blake, and Steve Dangle were joined by NHL insider and die-hard Toronto reporter Chris Johnston. Wylde voiced the concern many Leafs fans have been holding in. He said, “How could you possibly have your heart and soul in this when, a summer before, you’re already talking about where you want to go next?” The tension around Mitch Marner wasn’t about the trade itself; it was about the idea that he had one foot out the door while still playing in Toronto.

And when Marner admitted in his Vegas press conference that the city was “A spot that was very high on my list,” fans felt like their worst suspicions had been confirmed. But Johnston wasn’t ready to let that narrative go unchallenged.

Stepping in to clear the air, Chris Johnston immediately pushed back on the idea that Mitch Marner had mentally quit on Toronto. “I don’t think the trade talks with Vegas and Toronto last summer were that real,” he said. He further explained that they were just light conversations between GMs—a common thing in NHL front offices. He added that those discussions didn’t become serious until much later, near the 2025 trade deadline. Even then, Marner reportedly turned down a trade to Carolina, not wanting to move while his wife was seven months pregnant. As he puts it, “Everything before that was pretty hypothetical.” Johnston made it clear: this wasn’t some shady pre-planned exit. So if Vegas wasn’t always the plan, what really happened behind the scenes?

To that, Johnston offered even more context. “I think Mitch would have played in other cities,” he said. “I certainly believe Dallas is a place he would have played if there was a world where that made sense. It didn’t make sense—they went and got Rantanen at the deadline, and they didn’t have the cap space.” His point? It wasn’t “Vegas or bust” for Marner. He wasn’t out there engineering a perfect escape. But he simply didn’t want to commit long-term to a situation that didn’t feel right, and like any upcoming UFA, he had to start thinking ahead. “He just had his best season statistically,” Johnston added, defending Mitch Marner’s effort. “You wanted more in the playoffs but you’ve said that in other years when you didn’t question where his heart was.” So if the effort was there, is it possible the frustration lies elsewhere?

It might. As Johnston pointed out, maybe Marner didn’t have the cleanest exit. But he also didn’t slam the door shut on Toronto. Maybe he thought, “This is the year we go and win a Cup, and maybe I want to stay,” he said. That uncertainty, the not knowing, might be what hurts fans the most. Mitch Marner was honest, professional, and gave everything until the end. And yet, because there was no fairy-tale ending, some fans feel abandoned. But maybe, just maybe, giving everything you had was never going to feel like enough. And now, it seems he’s getting the support he never asked for. How? Because top NHL analysts are beginning to blast the Leafs, not Marner, for how poorly they handled it all.

NHL analyst blasts Maple Leafs for botching Mitch Marner exit

Mitch Marner’s final season with the Toronto Maple Leafs was arguably his best. He scored 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) in 81 games and was also ranked 5th in NHL scoring in 2024-25. He also registered a + 18 rating and he was the sole Leafs player who exceeded the 100-point mark that year. He did that in a way to set a franchise record with the most points scored in a year by a right wing. Nevertheless, and even with those elite numbers, it was not sufficient enough to guarantee his future in Toronto. Just months later, Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in a high-profile July 1 sign-and-trade. Now, the fallout is intensifying.

On TSN’s OverDrive, NHL analyst Bryan Hayes slammed the Leafs’ front office. He called the move “significant malpractice.” Not only this much, he asked whether or not President Brendan Shanahan and GM Brad Treliving were already aware that Marner was already looking to get out last year. He referred to gossip that everyone heard he was on his way to Vegas.  If that’s true, Hayes said, the Leafs would have had to do something sooner before Marner hit the no-move clause. It would have given them a higher negotiating power and a higher payoff, perhaps, than that of a single player.

Hayes also pointed some blame at Mitch Marner himself, saying, “If you’re so unhappy, why don’t you go ask for a change? Why is it on the Leafs to force your way out?” The Leafs’ decision to hold onto Marner until this summer, despite his apparent intentions, has left fans and analysts frustrated. Marner, the 4th overall pick in 2015, posted 741 points in 657 games but never got Toronto past Round 2. His regular-season brilliance was clear, but his decade with the Leafs ended on a complicated note.