Toronto Maple Leafs Surprised by Mitch Marner's Bold Statement: Why Fans Should be Happy

The Toronto Maple Leafs offseason has been filled with a bunch of different emotions. Anticipation for the season to start, anxiety about several new signings including Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson and a new head coach in Craig Berube, and a lot of question marks have come out surrounding the future of Mitch Marner as a Maple Leaf. Could he be traded? Will he take a discount to keep the Core Four together? Will he depart for a mega-deal in free agency? So many 'what ifs' that Marner gained a lot of flak this summer; especially since he was seen visiting carnivals and riding on a Sea-Doo with his dog Zeus.

But Marner has been a staple of this Maple Leafs team since 2016-2017 and while he hasn't seen much postseason success, he's been a solid offensive producer in that regard. He clearly wants to win here, and the love that Marner has shown to Toronto and its community through his philanthropic efforts show he's more than just a superstar on the ice. He won't speak about contract status, but he did sit down with Elliotte Friedman to speak about the Maple Leafs and their fans and had nothing but gracious and kind words for the city.

Marner being as humble as he is despite his boyish nature is a huge testament to how much the former London Knight has matured in his career. Many fans were clamoring for Toronto to draft Noah Hanifin or Timo Meier but they went with Marner instead and in hindsight; it's been fantastic. Marner for his career has 194 goals and 445 assists in his 576 NHL games and those numbers are second to only Connor McDavid; in regards to players drafted in 2015. He's even above Colorado phenom Mikko Rantanen and #2 pick Jack Eichel. For his postseason career, Marner has put in a very respectable 50 points in 57 games, which actually leads the Maple Leafs Core Four in playoff production ahead of Auston Matthews' 48 points and William Nylander's 43. John Tavares only has 24 points as a member of the Maple Leafs in the playoffs; a number the team needs him add onto desperately.

Marner's offensive ability is something to behold. His lightning quick hands and playmaking vision has allowed Toronto to flourish in the regular season, and has statistically been their best playoff producer. Toronto is a worse team without him, and he is an integral part to the identity of the entire team and a community. You can't mention Nylander or Matthews without having Marner in there because he is just as important. His impact on the community is also something that cannot be overlooked; his work with his charity the Marner Assist Foundation has allowed countless kids to be able to have the resources needed in order to have the education, healthcare and assistance to have the most comfortable life possible.

Marner's statement about the foundation is all you need to hear:

The spotlight will be on Marner this year as he tries to help Toronto bring a Stanley Cup back to the city. With all the questions surrounding his future as a Maple Leaf, his heart is ingrained deep within the city and its community and it'll be hard to see him anywhere else.

We're grateful for you too, Mitch.