NHL News: Auston Matthews reportedly taking the fall for Maple Leafs after Mitch Marner's dramatic departure

Parting ways with Mitch Marner might have been the right decision for both parties, but doesn’t make what’s next any easier for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, a report hints captain Auston Matthews will experience an NHL season unlike any other.

As much as he contributed to the Leafs night in and night out, Marner always bore the brunt of Toronto’s playoff collapses. The homegrown kid used to be at the center of scrutiny and criticism, but that’s no longer the case. Now, Marner is off to a fresh start in Las Vegas, and a report hints that it’s Matthews who will face the music in The Six.

“Pretty soon, [fans in Toronto] will look for someone else to blame when the season isn’t perfect,” TheHockeyWriters’ Jim Parsons stated. “The scrutiny around Matthews’s big contract and his perceived inability to lead a deep run will make him a consistent target when things go south.“

No excuses

“If it weren’t for Marner, Matthews would have repeatedly borne the brunt of backlash during playoff failures. If he doesn’t have a bounce-back season, stay healthy, score goals when it counts, and take this team by the horns, he’ll be labeled a bad leader and too reliant on Marner.”

Mitch Marner skates off the ice at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario.

That is, of course, if Matthews and the Maple Leafs fail to hoist the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since 1967. It’s proven to be a sketchy job, one that Toronto seems to never be built to achieve. Now, without Marner in town, the Buds hope their new look is exactly what will put them over the top in the NHL.

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Bittersweet symphony

Though Marner had long made up his mind about leaving Toronto, when the trade finally came through, it all hit him. So many memories faded in the blink of an eye. Marner knows it’s probably for the best. After all, no one’s a prophet in their own land.

Marner is now taking the Golden, becoming a sworn Knight of the franchise in Sin City. Still, his departure wasn’t an easy one to deal with, as Marner himself revealed details of the final call to Matthews before the trade went through.

An iconic duo in Maple Leafs history has become just that: history. Marner and Matthews will be remembered for their chemistry on the ice and their production. But when it’s all said and done, the unavoidable truth will emerge: they couldn’t deliver the one thing fans in Hogtown truly care about—Lord Stanley.