Not profitable a Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs will in all probability trouble proper winger Mitch Marner for the remainder of his profession.
Marner admitted he needs he had finished extra to assist the Maple Leafs finish their 58-year Stanley Cup drought after they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.
“Once I was drafted, all I wished to do was assist deliver a Stanley Cup to Toronto. That was at all times the purpose, and I got here up quick,” Marner stated in a press release posted to his Instagram story Tuesday (h/t Bleacher Report). “I understand how a lot this staff means to this metropolis, and I do know the expectations that include carrying this jersey. I gave every part I had, however in the long run, it wasn’t sufficient. That is onerous to confess as a result of, I wished it so badly for all of us.”
Marner, 28, established himself as a star after the Maple Leafs took him with the No. 4 decide within the 2015 NHL Draft. He recorded 741 factors (221 objectives and 520 assists) in 9 seasons with Toronto, the fifth most in franchise historical past, and was chosen to a few All-Star Video games.
Nonetheless, postseason success has eluded him all through his profession. Marner made the playoffs in all 9 of his seasons with Toronto however by no means reached the Japanese Convention Remaining. This previous season, the Florida Panthers eradicated the Maple Leafs in seven video games within the second spherical and went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Regardless of the playoff failures, Marner wrote, “Leaving [the franchise] is not straightforward” and he thanked his hometown staff for making his “childhood dream” come true.
Marner — who signed an eight-year, $96M deal earlier than being traded — now has a strong shot at profitable his first Stanley Cup in Vegas. As of Tuesday, FanDuel Sportsbook provides the Golden Knights +950 odds to win the championship, the NHL’s sixth finest.
However even when Marner wins a title in Vegas, there’ll doubtless be part of him that needs he did the identical in Toronto.
