Matthews' 'Too Many Passengers' Comment Hits Different After New Mitch Marner Vegas Revelation

With Mitch Marner gone from the Maple Leafs, it is now up to Auston Matthews and company to move forward and figure out how to replace his offense, and bring a new era to Toronto; one without the original Core Four.

His attitude towards the end of his tenure in Toronto was pretty egregious and it seems like he was out the door long before the summer. It was a frustrating development to say the least, but it's something that not only irked fans, but his former teammates.

None more than Matthews though, and according to Andy Strickland of the Cam and Strick Podcast, his comments after elimination may have been directed towards his former sidekick.

It makes perfect sense now that Matthews' comments could be directed towards Marner, given that he really didn't have his heart in the battle, and all of his supposed motivation was simply superficial.

Being labelled a passenger is a pretty ugly moniker, as it shows a complete lack of accountability and trying to coast off previous accomplishments. But for a player who repeatedly refused to perform when it mattered in the postseason, Matthews' words ring quite true.

Sure, Marner has a 100-point season under his belt, he's one of the most dynamic players in the league, and is no doubt going to be a star in Sin City.

But he's also allergic to the spotlight, he shies away from criticism, and doesn't show up when it matters. Is he the sole reason to blame for Toronto's misfortunes? No, absolutely not, but he certainly doesn't help things.

The Maple Leafs are all about grit, hard-work and passion. That takes a lot of sacrifices and doing what's best for the team as a whole; something the evidently selfish Marner seemed to forget.

While guys like Ryan Reaves will defend Marner's character and say he's not a bad guy, his actions tell a different story. He wanted out a long time ago, he constantly threw his teammates under the bus, then waited until the bitter end to try and save some face by giving the Leafs something.

That's not the type of player you need in a locker room, and it's certainly not the player Craig Berube wants around his team.