Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner is currently one of the odds-on favorites to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as he leads all playoff scorers in total points.
Right now, he and the Vegas Golden Knights have a one game to none lead in the Stanley Cup Final over the Carolina Hurricanes, whom they defeated in a wild back and forth affair in Game 1 on Tuesday evening.
This has Maple Leafs fans and Insiders everywhere wondering how things could have been different for the “Core Four” era of Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander with the franchise, who only won a total of two playoff series in nine years.
Jay Rosehill Blasts Former Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Mitch Marner As “Timid”
During a recent episode of The Leafs Nation with Nick Alberga, NHL Insider Jay Rosehill was asked to respond to the comments by Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon in which he attributed Marner’s success in part because Vegas is “deeper”.
Rosehill said that while he agreed partially with McCrimmon’s comments, he believes Marner essentially wasted a prime era of Maple Leafs hockey with timid play.
“To a degree,” Rosehill said. “I’m not saying the Leafs should have rattled off Stanley Cup after Stanley Cup, they had goaltending issues, they had defensive issues. But one of the main issues, as well – go watch the hockey games. You’re playing on a line with Auston Matthews in his prime as he’s winning Rockets and Harts and putting up 69 goals in a season. And you have William Nylander on the other side – and you can’t get anything done.”
“You were timid, you wouldn’t penetrate, you played from the perimeter,” he said. “You spun off the difficult spots, you didn’t win the 50-50 battles. You wanted it to be easy. And you probably had to learn and mature and grow, and all the stuff – fine.”
Rosehill concluded with a rather poignant way of describing Marner’s play – like a mouse.
“But you guys didn’t do it, and you can go run the tape and watch all those games in those heartbreaking series when he was a ghost and played like a mouse,” he said. “That’s why people were pissed off. Because we’re like, ‘You’re wasting time. You’re wasting talent, and you’re wasting this era, and they never got the message.’”
Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon Said Vegas Is Deeper Than Toronto
Prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final, Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon was asked about the success that Marner is enjoying with his new club, and said that he believes as a whole, the Golden Knights are a deeper team than the Maple Leafs were during Marner’s time with the team.
“I think the change has helped him. I think our team is deeper and a better team than what he had played on in Toronto,” McCrimmon said. “Not that Toronto didn’t have real good teams. But you have to have that depth throughout your roster. Because to go through three rounds, or hopefully four rounds, everybody has to take their turn.”
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