Golden Knights fans are turning on Mitch Marner, and the deja vu for Leafs fans is real
Photo credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Some Golden Knights fans online have expressed frustration with Mitch Marner and Maple Leafs fans know all too well about why they'd start getting tired with the star.
When Mitch Marner left the Toronto Maple Leafs, there were fans who were upset that the team lost a star, but there were some who were happy to see him leave given the years of debate over his playstyle, usage, and consistency.
Vegas brought him in hoping he could add another layer to an already potent offense, however has only managed 22 points in 23 games (through Nov. 27).
While respectable, it hasn't matched the point-per-game range he produced in Toronto.
What Golden Knights fans are actually saying about Mitch Marner right now
But lately his mental errors are costing the team, and his recent performance in the shootout has Vegas fans getting increasingly frustrated -- a feeling Leafs fans know all too well.
Recent posts on X show some Vegas fans expressing frustrations and with a $96-million contract; they feel it may have been an overpayment.
This was after Marner's failure in the shootout on Nov. 27:
Some of the Vegas fans believe that Marner is overhyped:
Mitch Marner is an overhyped bomb. Hasn't done squat other than get a few assists. #VegasBorn.
Others were very confused as to why coach Bruce Cassidy used Marner in the shootout knowing the others they had available:
Shocker. Vegas loses in extra time. Marner doesn't get a shot off in the shootout. #vegasborn
According to StatMuse, Marner has a 31.4% shootout success rate, and while it's not terrible, some fans hoped his shootout rate would be higher given his career scoring numbers.
While on its own the issue wouldn't be too bad, but fans have connected this to other recent mistakes, including a lapse against Anaheim on Nov. 22 that cost the team the game.
Why this backlash will feel uncomfortably familiar to Maple Leafs fans
Well, if you take a look at the inverse -- Maple Leafs fans are having a field day with this development unsurprisingly..
Discussed as a focal point as to why Marner left the team, the fans are relishing in the fact that their frustrations aren't invalid, and aren't shy about poking fun at the situation:
Must be the Vegas media
But I was told it was the city!
While the fans and media certainly could have played a part in Marner wanting to leave, it's not like he was going into a place that won't challenge him on and off the ice, and fans will still get frustrated -- there just isn't as big a spotlight as there once was.
But it's not like he's completely bereft of criticism in Vegas, and with him struggling to reach that next level so far, coupled with the defensive mistakes -- it'll start making that spotlight a little brighter.
Maple Leafs fans are dealing with their own struggles and frustrations this season, but seeing the Vegas fans understand their pain at least echoes some of the frustrations Leafs fans voiced in previous seasons.
These reactions reflect fan opinion online, not organizational commentary from Vegas as an organization.
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