Mitch Marner reverted to his Maple Leafs form when the Golden Knights needed him most

For most of the 2025-26 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Vegas Golden Knights were the beneficiaries of star right winger Mitch Marner raising his game.

In his first year away from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Marner was playing like a man possessed – and he was the Golden Knights’ top choice to be named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the post-season.

Unfortunately, in the Cup final series against the Carolina Hurricanes, Marner started well, but finished poorly. In the first three games of the Cup final, Marner was a beast, posting three goals and seven points, while being a plus-4. But in the final three games of the series, Marner had just a single assist, and in the final two games of the series, he was a minus-5 while being held off the scoresheet completely.

If you’re going to praise Marner – and you should, as he had more points than any player in this post-season, with 29 points in 22 games – you also have to criticize him for not coming through in the clutch.

Indeed, Vegas isn’t built around just one or two players, so Marner didn’t have to do it all for this Golden Knights team to win. But he did need to do more in Games 4 through 6 against Carolina, and Marner has to wear that all summer and throughout next season.

MORE: Mitch Marner isn't allowed to pick and choose when he talks about his past with the Maple Leafs

You have to tell it like it is with Marner, for good and for bad. And the undeniable fact is that, when the games became tighter-checking affairs and time and space was hard to come by, Marner reverted to what he was in Toronto. 

Here’s the juiciest part of the Marner saga: if he had accepted a trade to the Hurricanes when the Leafs tried to deal him to Carolina at the 2025 trade deadline, Marner would’ve been a champion today. Marner had his own personal reasons for vetoing a trade to the Canes, but he chose Vegas instead. We’re not here to rip him for that move. He earned the right to choose where he wants to play.

That said, we’ve long maintained that Marner is going to be judged on his playoff performances, and this year, he once again came up empty at the highest-stakes point in the season. That’s not up for debate. That’s just a fact. 

So while Marner definitely piled up points this spring, he is still going to be seen as lacking in part because he disappeared when the games mattered most. That’s his playoff legacy going forward, and the only time Marner is going to be able to address that is in the 2026-27 playoffs and beyond.

MORE: 'Just Folded In Crunch Time': Mitch Marner's Stanley Cup Bid Comes Up Empty

Marner checked a lot of boxes in his first year with Vegas. But in that final few games against Carolina, Marner ran out of gas, and the Golden Knights faded as he faded. Marner now has a short summer and a long 2026-27 regular season to think about how close he came to winning it all. It has to be painful for him, and for Knights fans.

Who knows – Vegas could be right back in the thick of things next season, and Marner could step up his game to new heights next year. It’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility. But Marner now has to prove he still can elevate his game and earn a championship. 

Marner almost did it this year, and he may do it eventually. But there’s also a world in which this is as far in the post-season as Marner ever gets. If we have a few more post-seasons where Vegas falters in the early rounds, Marner will have to wear those failures as well.

When you make $12-million per season, the spotlight is on you, for good and for bad. That’s why Marner must own where he is right now. He’s a very good player on a very good team, but he’s not a champion. At least, not yet. In the big picture, this could’ve been Marner’s best chance to run the gamut and hoist a Cup over his head. 

More NHL News

• Patrick Roy is the best NHL coaching candidate for the Maple Leafs
• Jets pass on Caleb Malhotra meeting at NHL Combine, sparks questions on potential fall in draft
• With each NHL Stanley Cup final point, Hurricanes’ Nikolaj Ehlers proves the Jets wrong
• Hurricanes built their NHL Stanley Cup-winning roster through patience and trust
• 4 NHL teams who can trade for Red Wings' Dylan Larkin following his trade request