Mitch Marner isn’t spending much time grading the Toronto Maple Leafs’ hectic offseason.
The former Leafs right winger, now with the Vegas Golden Knights, was asked about Toronto during the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas, and his answer made it clear where his focus is. After a summer that saw plenty of movement around the Maple Leafs, Marner kept his attention on the club he’s preparing to play for now.
“Don't think very much,” he said. “I'm just thinking about our team and what we've got to do to be the best we can be.”
That stance makes sense for Marner, who spent nine seasons in Toronto and played 657 regular-season games for the Leafs before departing in July 2025. Born in Markham, Ont. and raised in Toronto, he’s still connected enough to know the players and storylines back home, even if his priorities have shifted to Vegas.
One of the names that caught his attention was Darren Raddysh, the Toronto-born defenseman the Maple Leafs added in a sign-and-trade in June. Marner said he was happy to see Raddysh land with his hometown team after a strong season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he posted a career-high 22 goals and 70 points.
“I know Raddy quite well, I'm very happy for him,” Marner said of Raddysh. “He's worked his butt.”
Toronto’s offseason has been one of the most active in the league, with changes touching the roster and management over the past couple of years. Marner may be watching from afar now, but he still knows enough about the Leafs’ summer to recognize just how much has gone on.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Suddenly Have An Early Max Domi Problem
Max Domi is set to be a missing piece for the Maple Leafs from the very start of 2026-27, with the forward expected to sit out all of training camp while he recovers from offseason surgery. For a team that already has enough to sort out before opening night, the timing is less than ideal, especially with no clear timetable yet on how long the recovery will take.
Toronto may have a cap-related workaround if it decides to place Domi on Long-Term Injured Reserve, a move that would bring some immediate salary relief. Even so, the Leafs are still facing the kind of early-season uncertainty that can ripple through lineup planning, roster decisions and how they manage the first few weeks without him. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Hughes Just Reopened An Ugly Maple Leafs Debate
Jack Hughes added an awkward little footnote to Torontos summer at NHL Media Day, and it landed on a topic the Maple Leafs would probably prefer to leave buried. His comment about the Leafs and the draft reopened a long-running argument around a season that went sideways, one in which Toronto missed the playoffs and finished last in its division, yet still sat in a draft position that reflected how rough the overall picture had become.
The uncomfortable part for the Leafs is that the debate is not as simple as record versus reward. Toronto did not finish near the very bottom of the league, but it was still among the 11 worst teams and carried the fifth-best lottery odds, which made a high pick a reasonable outcome even without a nightmare standings finish. Hughes did not settle the argument so much as remind everyone how messy it got, and why the Leafs are still the kind of team that can spark a fight over whether they were too good to be there or not good enough to avoid it. [Read more 🡒]
John Tavares Is Setting The Tone For A Maple Leafs Debate
John Tavares is already doing more than talking about what the Maple Leafs hope to be this season. By hosting rookie Gavin McKenna in his home, he is helping bring the newest face into the daily rhythm of life with the team, a small but meaningful sign of how Toronto wants to manage the transition for a young player trying to find his footing. It also fits the larger tone around the club right now, with Tavares projecting confidence in the groups direction and pointing to the recent additions as reasons for optimism.
The support around McKenna matters because the early part of a season can shape how quickly a player settles in, especially in a market that asks plenty of everyone who wears the sweater. Tavares has made it clear he believes the Maple Leafs have the pieces to be in a good place, but the real test still comes on the ice, where the teams new look will have to prove itself in the games ahead. [Read more 🡒]