NHL analyst drops harsh take on Mitch Marner-less Maple Leafs as Toronto ‘crumbles’ early in the season

Mitch Marner's move to Vegas has changed things in Toronto as the Maple Leafs face a slow start this season. The Leafs are 5-5-1 after the first 11 games, but is it because of Marner's absence? If we compare it to their performance in the 2024-25 season over the same number of games, it was 6-4-1 or 5-4-2 in the 2023-24 season.

On Thursday's Leafs Morning Take, NHL insider Andi Petrillo spoke about Toronto’s slow start. She pointed out that the Leafs seem to lack energy despite having stars like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares.

"I said, 'Lack of star power,'" Petrillo said, recalling what she said to analyst Jody Shelley about the Leafs. "And isn't that strange to say when you've got Auston Matthews and William Nylander and, you know, even John Tavares, although I would say Tavares is still stepping up. "And I said, ‘That's at least how the team feels.’ It feels like it's lacking a star, and it feels like it's lacking somebody who's making their hockey interesting."

The Maple Leafs' play has been inconsistent on both ends of the ice. The team allows 3.82 goals per game and struggles on the power play at 13.8 percent. Nylander leads the team with 15 points, and Tavares has six goals (14 points). Despite strong names, the Leafs have not looked sharp early in the season.

"I've been watching them, and I'm just like, ...Where's that X factor that made me go, 'This is a fun team to watch. This is a fast team to watch.'" Petrillo said.

Petrillo added that the team feels different partly because of Mitch Marner's departure. They are missing Marner's impact on ice, and his absence has left a gap in the top lines. A few games into the season, injuries have made things worse.

"I don't want to sit here and say that it's because of Mitch Marner. He's gone, and like that, one piece is allowing everything else to crumble, but I do think that's a factor," Petrillo said. "I think someone who is such a dynamic winger, he's gone, plus, you add in the injuries, it doesn't exactly help. "It's kind of piling on early on, but I do think Craig Berube is really struggling. I think a real big hole, no matter what people think about Mitch Marner... come playoff time, that has left a really big hole in the lineup, and in that top line..."

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Mitch Marner has adjusted in Vegas after the Leafs' trade

Mitch Marner, now with the Vegas Golden Knights, has adjusted well. He has two goals and ten assists through ten games. His +9 rating shows strong two-way play and chemistry with new teammates like Jack Eichel. Marner has helped Vegas on both the power play and penalty kill. If he keeps this pace, he could reach another 100-point season.

Meanwhile, Auston Matthews has not looked like his usual self without his former linemate, Marner. He has five goals and eight points through 11 games. His shooting percentage has dropped to 10.9 percent, and he needs to regain his scoring touch, to help the Leafs.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar