Every dynasty comes to an end. But what about a ‘dynasty’ that came away with nothing—no titles, no trophies for the showing, just hugs and kisses?
The Toronto Maple Leafs and their core four (and Tavares, of course) now have just one more shot at the Stanley Cup. Despite a significant squad overhaul in the last three seasons, their unaccountable playoff disappointments have only added to the woes of a loyal fanbase that hasn’t seen the Stanley Cup since 1967.
Who is to blame? The coaching unit, the GM, or the locker room leaders?
With some of the best players in the league skating side by side, it remains a riddle why the Leafs haven’t been able to solve the Stanley Cup puzzle.
Now, apparently, it’s all coming to an end. An aging core, hefty paychecks, and an inevitable conclusion of the fantastic five-era loom ahead. So, who will be the first to be forced out?
Well, it seems Marner may be the first to face the chopping block.
Mitch Marner’s delicate contract situation and a chance at redemption
Marner’s contract will expire at the end of the 2024-25 season. With no significant progress in negotiations between the player and the club, the 27-year-old is expected to be the first to leave Toronto by the season’s end.
If that happens, it could be the easiest way to break up the core five—Marner being the most suitable piece on the board to be sacrificed, but in a more amicable way than if a trade had been forced this off-season. No hard feelings on either side.
However, there is still hope that the Leafs will offer the two-way forward a chance at an extension—depending on how he performs in the 2024-25 postseason.
Head coach Craig Berube will likely be the one to make the final decision on Marner’s fate. So, perhaps, all eyes will be on Mitch come 2024-25. His fate, and that of the core four, now rest upon his playoff performance.
Why Take Away the “C” from Tavares?
Leafs alternate captain (not calling him former captain because Auston isn’t exactly captain until the new season kicks off right?) and key member of the core five, John Tavares, came under heavy criticism from fans right after their playoff elimination against the Boston Bruins. The wait for the Stanley Cup was postponed for yet another season, and the core four’s time together was reset, just with a larger void.
Tavares’ defensive errors may have caused significant damage in that series, which went to a decisive Game 7, but it would be unjust to hold the Leafs captain solely responsible for their persistent playoff disappointments.
Fans crudely demanded the “C” be taken away in the aftermath of their elimination at Madison Square Garden. They felt the captaincy should be given to someone apparently more capable than the 33-year-old.
However, all that fan outcry was short-lived. Tavares holds substantial goodwill on and off the ice, and those demanding that he be stripped of captaincy didn’t stick to the notion for long.
Yes, Tavares is just as responsible as any of the core five members who have failed to deliver a noteworthy postseason campaign in the last eight seasons, but stripping the current captain of the “C” would only attract negative attention and leave a nasty gash on the team’s image and perhaps even inside the locker room.
The Leafs haven’t done so in recent memory and setting an example like that is not what fans want, rationally, at least not when it comes to Tavares. The forward has two more seasons left in his 7-year, 77-million-dollar contract. If parting ways is in the cards, it would be more amicable to let him step away instead of making an offensive move toward the captain.
In fact, stripping him of the captaincy would only imply that the club made the wrong choice in the first place—muddy waters that GM Brad Treliving might not have wanted to explore.
Then there’s the question of who would take over the captaincy if not Tavares. Easy—Auston Matthews, right? Well, maybe it’s not as simple as it appears.
Matthews is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league right now, and it goes without saying that he has been the Leafs’ top performer over the last two seasons. But Matthews, let’s be clear, is NOT a leader.
And fans share that sentiment, feeling that Tavares and Matthews have completely different dispositions and that Matthews is not built for the responsibility of the “C.” The bottom line is that fan opinion and the current situation favor Tavares continuing as captain for at least the next two seasons, unless an unexpected trade materializes—which, as of now, there is none.
But now that they have officially given the “C” to Matthews, it remains to be seen how the new captain will lead the team in a last-ditch effort for the core five of the Leafs to pursue a title-contending campaign. And kudos to Tavares—what a class act, handling the entire situation and passing the “C” to Matthews with such grace. You can’t help but admire him!