It didn't take long for rumours to start circulating in Toronto after the Maple Leafs lost a Game 7 to the Montreal Canadiens, who had already eliminated the Leafs in the first round. The main rumour is that the core of elite players may need to be broken up.
Toronto has now lost seven consecutive postseason series and eight consecutive games in which it had a chance to eliminate an opponent. With the nucleus of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, the team has won seven games in a row since 2018.
Marner did not score a single goal in the series, collecting four assists in seven games, and fans were quick to point out his $11 million price tag, stating that he should be moved this summer for not being a clutch postseason player. In Wednesday's press conference, Marner was asked about that possibility- the Leafs breaking up the core - and answered this, starting by complimenting his general manager Kyle Dubas, maybe to get him on his side.
«We have an unbelievably talented general manager.
«Everyone just wants to get into panic mode and do stuff and try to change something up, but I think they (management) have a lot of confidence in our team. It's up to them to decide what they want to do. We all know how much talent we have.»
There is no doubt that the Maple Leafs are full of talent : that's why the collapse this time around is so shocking.
