The Toronto Maple Leafs lost within the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Florida Panthers. It marked the tip of the Core 4 era, with Mitch Marner leaving the Maple Leafs for the Vegas Golden Knights. Marner spoke about safety concerns after the Leafs’ most up-to-date loss. Toronto’s general manager, Brad Treliving, was asked about those concerns by Eric Engels of Sportsnet.
“In our business, your No. 1 priority is taking care of your players, and I feel we do a extremely good job of it,” Treliving said on the GM Meetings. “I don’t have any concerns that we don’t do every part humanly possible to make sure that that they’re taken care of, but in today’s world, you never take anything not seriously.
The Maple Leafs GM finished, “It’s unlucky, but we all the time take every precaution crucial to make sure that our guys are taken care of.”
The Maple Leafs have an incredibly passionate fanbase and haven’t been to the Stanley Cup Final since 1967. That keenness turns into frustration after they lose within the postseason. And for Marner, together with his time in Toronto ending, it was particularly pointed this yr.
The Golden Knights provide a unique opportunity for Marner, but they still have Stanley Cup aspirations. While the fans should not have the popularity the Maple Leafs fans have, the team is cutthroat. They’ve shipped out many of the original misfits for improvements and have barely drafted in the primary round in franchise history.
While playing for the Maple Leafs was a lifelong dream for the Ontario native, his experience was not what he dreamed of. He now heads to the Western Conference with a loaded Golden Knights team able to win a Stanley Cup. Marner was drafted by the Maple Leafs, but he hopes his profession is remembered for his time in Vegas.