One of the biggest stories of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been Vegas Golden Knights star Mitch Marner.
Everyone knew he was an elite player in the NHL, but the biggest knock against him during his time in Toronto was his play in the postseason. And, truthfully, it was not great.
But, the second he skips town? Well, he’s led Vegas to the Western Conference Final, and that’s kind of hilarious because we’ve seen this happen before.
Mitch Marner has been on fire in his first playoff push with the Vegas Golden Knights. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
Marner scored just over a minute into Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks, which Vegas went on to win 5-1 to punch its ticket for a date with the Colorado Avalanche (lucky them).
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The goal was Marner’s seventh of the postseason, and he leads the playoffs in points with 18 points, three clear of the player tied for second, Quinn Hughes and Kirill Kaprizov of the now-eliminated Minnesota Wild.
I think a lot of people saw this coming. Toronto’s playoff problems are well documented. No Stanley Cup since 1967, and the Maple Leafs went nearly 20 years between series wins between 2004 and 2023.
Mitch Marner’s postseason play in Toronto earned him a lot of criticism. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)
So, it’s kind of hilarious to see Marner explode the second he gets a taste of the playoffs with another team after arriving in Sin City via a sign-and-trade last summer.
In fact, I feel like we’ve all seen this before.
Remember when Phil Kessel was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Much like Marner, he became a popular target among fans and the media.
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Then, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the very next season, he won a Stanley Cup.
After a rough end to his time in Toronto, Phil Kessel went on to win back-to-back Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and a third a few years later with the Vegas Golden Knights. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
Something similar happened with Nazem Kadri, who won a Cup in Colorado a couple of seasons after leaving Toronto.
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It seems like Marner got out of Dodge at the right time.
Now, we’ll see if that remains the case. While Marner avoided an abysmal 2025-26 season, the Leafs are expected to use the first-overall pick in the upcoming draft on Penn State star Gavin McKenna, the kind of player who should be able to help right the ship in a hurry.
