'It's on the management': Former NHL executive slams Maple Leafs management for letting Mitch Marner walk away after nine seasons
The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a storm of criticism following Mitch Marner's shocking departure, and this time, it's not coming from fans or analysts—it's from a former NHL Assistant General Manager.
As the dust settles on Marner's blockbuster sign-and-trade deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, the blame is squarely being placed on the shoulders of Toronto's front office.
Craig Button
calls out Leafs brass for failing to back
Mitch
Marner
Craig Button, a respected voice in hockey circles, did not hold back in his assessment of Marner's exit. According to Button, the 28-year-old winger—who recently signed an eight-year, $96 million extension with Vegas—was let down by a management group that failed to protect and support one of their franchise stars.
'It's on the management,' Button declared. 'You can look at the team and go, 'Okay, Mitch Marner is the reason you didn't win.' Well, if that's the case, be careful, because I don't think that's the reason… Bottom line for Toronto is they weren't deep enough to win with Marner and Matthews and all those guys. It's on the management. That's not on the players.'
What do you think of Marner's deal and fit with Golden Knights?
Button also questioned why General Manager Brad Treliving didn't prioritize retaining Marner earlier, noting: 'Could it have been avoided with Brad saying, 'Hey Mitch, we want to sign you'? I don't know why the Leafs wouldn't want to sign Mitch Marner.'
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Leafs move on without one of their top scorers
Marner leaves Toronto after a nine-season run where he tallied 741 points—including 102 in his final year. Despite his offensive brilliance, the Leafs only managed two playoff series wins during the 'Core Four' era with Marner, Matthews, Nylander, and Tavares. While John Tavares was re-signed, Marner seemed poised to leave and ultimately did—landing with Vegas via a sign-and-trade deal that brought Nicolas Roy to Toronto.
In an emotional message to fans, Marner reflected: 'Leaving isn't easy… This city is where I grew up, where I fell in love with hockey, and where I've had the incredible honour of living out my childhood dream.'
Also Read:
Corey Perry's future with Oilers in serious doubt as cap crunch threatens veteran's return
The Leafs will now rely on younger players like Matthew Knies to step into Marner's role—while critics like Button won't stop reminding Toronto of what they lost.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
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