Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving called Mitch Marner one of the greatest Leafs ever.
Marner was drafted fourth overall in 2015 by Toronto and was one of the star players on the team. However, after nine years, his tenure with the Maple Leafs ended in a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights.
After Toronto traded Marner, Treliving heaped praise on Marner, calling him one of the greatest Maple Leafs players ever.
“He’s going to go down as one of the great Leafs, right? The statistics prove it. You know, ultimately, the player has a choice,” Treliving said on July 1. “I don’t think it’s proper to get into personal discussions that I have with players, but certainly we approached Mitch to engage him on a contract.
“As is his right, Mitch and his representative (Darren Ferris) wanted to wait until the year was done,” Treliving added. “And as it became clear to us that potential (for an extension) may not be there, we tried to look at alternatives, right? Obviously, as his right and was negotiated (with former GM Kyle Dubas), Mitch has a full no-move. So, he controlled the process. But that’s really where we got to here.”
Marner is a three-time NHL All-Star and has recorded 221 goals and 520 assists for 741 points in 657 career games with the Maple Leafs.
Marner is fifth all-time in Maple Leafs points and fourth all-time in assists.
Maple Leafs Looking to Replace Marner
After Toronto pulled off the sign-and-trade, it created a big hole in the top-six for the Maple Leafs.
Toronto did acquire Nic Roy in the deal, who’s a bottom-six forward, and traded for Mattias Maccelli to potentially be a top-six forward. However, after the opening day of free agency, Treliving said the Maple Leafs are trying to replace Marner.
“When a player of Mitch’s magnitude moves away, that’s never a fun day,” Treliving said.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…
Mitch was a top-six forward, and we haven’t replaced that hole,” Treliving added. “That’s really where our focus is.”
The Maple Leafs have just under $5 million in cap space.
Marner Admits His Maple Leafs Tenure Came Up Short
After Toronto officially traded Marner to Vegas, he sent out a letter to Maple Leafs fans.
During the statement, he thanked his teammates, fans, coaches, and trainers, among others. But a notable paragraph was Marner admitting his Maple Leafs tenure came up short of expectations.
“When I was drafted, all I wanted was to help bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto. That was always the goal, and I came up short,” Marner wrote. “I know how much this team means to this city, and I know the expectations that come with wearing this jersey. I gave everything I had, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. That’s hard to admit, because I wanted it so badly, for all of us.”
During Marner’s tenure with the Maple Leafs, the team had just two series wins.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Maple Leafs GM Praises Marner After Trade: ‘One of The Great Leafs’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.