Mitch Marner has left the Toronto Maple Leafs after 657 games, signing an eight-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. While the Maple Leafs received Nicolas Roy in return, many fans are upset with the perceived lack of value in the trade.
Now, a new detail has emerged suggesting the Leafs could have received a much better return for Marner—two years ago.
Brendan Shanahan served as president of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015 to 2025. Despite overseeing a star-studded roster throughout his tenure, he was unable to bring a Stanley Cup back to Toronto, much to the disappointment of fans. At the end of the 2025 season, Shanahan parted ways with the organization.
Disappointed in the return
In the wake of Marner’s trade to Vegas, fans are once again voicing frustration—this time over the return. Last season, Nicolas Roy recorded 31 points in 71 games, while Marner tallied an impressive 102 points in 82 games. According to Hockeyfeed, the Leafs could have secured a significantly better return for Marner two years earlier.
Blames Shanahan for Mitch Marner trade
A resurfaced post on X (formerly Twitter) claims that then-general manager Kyle Dubas had plans to trade Marner two years ago, but was fired by Shanahan before he could execute the move.
Fans are now fuming over the revelation.
“Not much of a Dubas fan, but considering that Shanahan was really the one making the calls on the big-money players, Dubas never really had a fair chance in Toronto. The contracts, keeping the core four together—that was all Shanahan,” one fan wrote.
“The person really to blame is Shanahan,” another fan added.
“The Shanaplan has really worked well for the Leafs!” a third fan commented sarcastically.
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