They improved the defense. They changed the coach. And on Wednesday, they will remove the ‘C’ from John Tavares’ jersey and give it to Auston Matthews.
Yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs have undergone significant change since losing to the Boston Bruins in (yet another) Game 7.
Most of that change has occurred in the leadership group, where the Core Four remains intact — albeit with slightly different roles.
Sheldon Keefe is no longer the coach. After a five-year reign, Tavares “hands over” the captaincy to Matthews. The only question now is, where does Mitch Marner factor into all of this?
Marner, along with Matthews, has served as a “part-time” alternate captain, rotating wearing an ‘A’ on his jersey with Matthews. But does Marner’s ‘A’ now become permanent? Or will he rotate as an alternate captain with Tavares?
Or, with the uncertainty of the next contract, will he also be stripped of a letter he has worn for the past five years?
Matthews C
Tavares probably gets an A
Rielly has to keep his ADoes Marner not have a letter this season?
— Rad Treliving (@MapleLeaves34) August 13, 2024
That looming decision will tell you a lot of about what the Leafs intend to do with Marner going forward.
As Matthews enters the first year of a four-year extension that pays him $13.25 million annually, Marner enters the final year of a contract that expires on July 1, 2025. So far, there have been no reported talks of an extension. If anything, following another disappointing post-season, there has just been constant chatter of whether Marner will be asked to waive his no-movement clause and accept a trade out of Toronto.
That trade talk may have quieted down in the past couple of months, but it hasn’t gone away completely.
This is a big year for the Maple Leafs. It’s an even bigger year for Marner, who entered the NHL at the same time as Matthews but has forever lived in the No. 1-overall pick’s shadow.
That shadow now looms much larger with the Leafs committing long-term to Matthews and naming him captain. As for Marner, he’s not even No. 2 in the pecking order, following William Nylander’s eight-year, $92-million contract extension that carries a higher annual average value than Marner’s.
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Whether Marner signs his next contract in Toronto or elsewhere will be a constant topic of conversation this season.
After all, Marner has a new coach along with a new-ish GM. There are no guarantees that Marner will be playing alongside Matthews next season. There is nothing to suggest he factors into the Leafs’ long-term plans.
Marner had 85 points in 69 games in 2023-24. Though his numbers were down from the career-high 99 points he produced a year earlier, they would have put him on a 101-point pace had he appeared in all 82 games. Still, the numbers most fans were fixated on were the one goal and three points he managed in seven playoff games against the Bruins.
With Matthews missing Games 5 and 6 with a head injury and with Nylander having missed the first three games of the series, there was an opportunity for Marner to step up and lead the team offensively. Instead, he had one assist in the first three games and then went without a point in the final two games.
Afterward, with all of Toronto pointing fingers at him, Marner suggested the criticism didn’t affect him because he and the rest of the Leafs were treated as “kind of gods.”
The question now becomes whether a God deserves a letter. The answer could determine whether Marner is a Maple Leaf beyond this season.
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News Summary:
- With John Tavares No Longer the Captain, Will the Toronto Maple Leafs Also Strip Mitch Marner of the 'A' This Season?
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