Former Maple Leafs Winger Sheds a Light on Who Deserves the Blame for Marner Drama
The recent Mitch Marner saga has opened up a can of worms for the Leafs that leads back to ex-president Brendan Shanahan and ex-GM Kyle Dubas.
Mitch Marner is going to be talked about ad nauseam all year long. It was an inevitable conversation topic after his departure but his recent media tour has only opened up a larger can of worms that won't be easily swept under the rug.
There is a lot of blame and accountability to go around from player to team, but perhaps all of this could have been avoided, had the Toronto Maple Leafs acted a bit more promptly when they offered Marner his first contract post-ELC.
Not only was his AAV hard to digest at the time but the real kicker was giving him a no-movement clause for the final 2 seasons. At the time it might have been hard to imagine the circus that would unfold but it was a fatal flaw that has hurt the Leafs for years.
It's a situation that could have been avoided, but because of the buzz it's generating now, TSN's Jeff O'Neill would like people to remember who should actually be carrying the blame.
If you're going to present him the contract that you did and you don't move him the summer before, don't expect anything different that happened the way it played it out. You gave him that opportunity, as soon as that July 1st kicked in, you gave him the opportunity to do what he did, so there's no other thing to blame than that. He had the right to do that.
The former NHLer turned analyst makes a pretty good point. Handing out trade protections in contracts became the norm, especially in Toronto, and it puts you in a bind, no matter the stature of the player.
Trade talks didn't really materialize until the mid-point of Marner's contract, but it certainly ramped up before his no-movement clause was going to kick in ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The Leafs kept failing time and time again, and with changes needing to be made, the writing had been on the wall for players like Marner. Unfortunately, even if Dubas was coming close to making a deal, he was fired before anything could materialize.
At the very least, if there's one positive to take out of this, it's that the Marner debacle will be a hard lesson learned. The new regime will be more aware in the future, especially considering how many current Leafs players are immovable because of it.
Bruins' Jeremy Swayman faces make-or-break season: Will he rebound or crumble under pressure?
The Boston Bruins' 2025-2026 season may hinge on the performance of one player: Jeremy Swayman. After an abysmal year in 2024-2025, which saw the 26-year-old goaltender posting career-worst numbers, Swayman finds himself in a do-or-die situation. If he doesn’t rebound, the Bruins could be staring at another season in the basement of the Atlantic Division.
The struggles were undeniable last season. From missing training camp due to a financial stalemate to failing to find any consistency in net, Swayman finished with a dismal 3.11 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage in a career-high 58 games. While injuries to key defensemen like Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm certainly didn’t help, the spotlight shone brightest on Swayman’s inability to deliver when it mattered most. Add to that the criticism surrounding his $8.25 million contract, and the pressure is now at an all-time high.
For Swayman, this season is not just about proving himself to the Bruins organization. It's about proving his worth to Team USA, with a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the 2026 Winter Games on the line. With elite goaltenders like Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger competing for the same spot, Swayman can't afford to falter early. Any struggles could push him out of the Olympic conversation entirely.
“That's always the hardest problem with being a goalie,” Hellebuyck explained at the U.S. Olympic orientation camp. “There are multiple guys but only one net.”
Indeed, Swayman knows that if he doesn't perform, others will take his spot. But the pressure doesn't end there. Without no-trade protection on his contract until next season, Bruins GM Don Sweeney may be forced to make a decision on Swayman’s future sooner than expected.
“We have an endless belief mindset,” Swayman said, trying to stay focused on the present. “We can’t predict what’s going to happen, but the thing is that we can control what we can control, right here, right now.”
However, with backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo hardly posing a challenge to Swayman’s role, it’s clear that the onus is squarely on the young goaltender. A slow start could easily sink the Bruins’ playoff aspirations and seal Swayman’s fate.
"This season is make or break for me. I've had my fair share of struggles, but I’m not backing down. The pressure is on, and I’m ready to prove that I belong at the top. It's time to take control of my career and show the world that I’m not just the goalie of the past—I’m the future of this team," Swayman declared, putting his focus on bouncing back and earning the trust of both his team and his fans.
With a season packed with both personal and team-related stakes, this is undeniably a boom-or-bust year for the young goalie. Will Swayman rise to the challenge, or will this be the season he gets lost in the shuffle?
One thing’s for sure: Swayman’s performance will be under the microscope all year long, and his every move will be scrutinized. The future of the Bruins—and his career—could very well be determined by how he handles the immense pressure.
