NHL analyst Bryan Hayes has taken aim at the Toronto Maple Leafs front office for malpractice.
The Maple Leafs saw Mitch Marner leave this offseason in a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. Toronto only got a bottom-six forward, Nic Roy, back in return, and Hayes believes how the Maple Leafs’ front office handled the Marner situation was malpractice.
“I am curious and I’d love to get an answer on what Shanahan and Treliving actually knew this time last year,” Hayes said on OverDrive. “Like did they know he was out? Now you are hearing stories, everyone knew Marner was going to Vegas. If they (Shanahan and Treliving) knew that, then that is significant malpractice. If they knew this guy is out of here, and you let him play it out without making him uncomfortable.”
Hayes believes the Maple Leafs’ front office knew Marner was leaving, and they should have forced him to accept a trade last summer. Although Marner had a full no-movement clause, Hayes points to other teams, like the New York Rangers, who make it uncomfortable for their players and force them to waive the no-movement clause.
Marner ended up playing the final year of his deal and had a career-high 102 points.
Maple Leafs GM Glad to Get an Asset Back for Marner
Although Hayes called the Maple Leafs’ front office for malpractice in handling the Marner situation, Maple Leafs’ GM Brad Treliving was happy to get something back.
Marner could have left in free agency for nothing, but Toronto was able to get Roy back. Although Roy is not a first-line player like Marner, Treliving is glad to acquire him.
“When a player of Mitch’s magnitude moves away, that’s never a fun day,” Treliving said on July 1. “But we were able to recoup a player who I think can really help us. And in a situation where a player was walking away this morning for nothing, we were able to recoup a player that fits a need for us.”
The Maple Leafs also made a trade for Mattias Maccelli, who could play on the top line and replace Marner. But, Hayes still thinks the Maple Leafs front office should have handled the Marner situation much better.
Marner Had Interest in Vegas for Months
It had been rumored for months that Marner would be leaving the Maple Leafs, and that is what happened.
At his first media press conference with the Golden Knights, Marner said his interest in Vegas has been for months after a three-way trade was rumored.
“We kind of heard that Vegas would be interested in doing a three-way deal. From what it sounded like, not much really happened going forward, process-wise,” Marner said. “That was kind of when we started talking, well, it sounds like Vegas has interest in us, we have interest in them.
“That’s when we started to try and think about it. But not overthink it, I guess, I was still committed to playing Toronto hockey,” Marner added. “I wanted to focus on just being there and finishing a job there. Kind of when the season ended, I sat down with my whole family and discussions of what stuff could look like, and luckily enough, Vegas came with the deal.”
Marner signed an eight-year, $96 million deal to be a Golden Knight.
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