The Toronto Maple Leafs are having a very tough season. According to Hall of Famer Chris Pronger, one of the biggest reasons the Leafs are struggling is that they traded Mitch Marner.
The Maple Leafs currently sit eleven points outside of a playoff spot and have won only two of their last eleven games, with just 14 games remaining in the season.
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Maple Leafs to miss the playoffs
As of now, it appears likely that the Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2015–16 season. Ahead of the 2025–26 season, the Leafs traded longtime forward Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights. Marner was a key piece of the Maple Leafs core that was expected to lead them to a Stanley Cup—the team’s first since 1967. In 2024–25, Marner’s final season with Toronto, he scored 102 points in the regular season and added 13 points in 13 playoff games.
Chris Pronger points out Mitch Marner
Trading Marner, according to Pronger, was a major mistake. The Hall of Famer, who played 18 seasons in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks, was a guest on the Missin’ Curfew podcast. There, he singled out the Marner trade as a key reason for the Leafs’ struggles this season.
“You’re losing 100 points. He was kind of the catalyst on the power play. A lot of the offense went through him. Do they miss him? Yes. He was a good fit. They built the roster around him, Auston, and Willy,” Pronger said on the podcast.
Pronger also highlighted Toronto’s defensive issues.
“I just think the style that they play—they’re not committed defensively. They make a lot of mistakes in their own zone, so they spend a lot of time there. They’re not committed as a group to shutting it down. They are just kind of there, taking up space, hoping to go the other way,” he said.
You can watch Pronger elaborate below.
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