Two days after Auston Matthews spoke publicly about Mitch Marner’s exit from the Toronto Maple Leafs, William Nylander weighed in. WHAT WILLIAM NYLANDER HAD TO SAY Speaking with NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger [https://www.nhl.com/news/marner-wasnt-thinking-of-leaving-maple-leafs-says-nylander] at the annual NHL European Media Tour, Nylander called Marner an "incredible person" and a "great teammate," while shutting down the idea that Marner was planning his exit last season. “Not sure where that stuff comes from, but I don’t think he was ever thinking of leaving ahead of time,” Nylander said. “I actually asked him during the season, and he said he was concentrating on Toronto.” Nylander added he didn’t want to press Marner: “Because it was obviously on his mind, but his play was focused on helping us.” After the season, once all was said and done, Nylander asked again — and Marner admitted he "wasn’t sure" what his future held. THE TIMELINE OF THE TRADE The Maple Leafs and Golden Knights finalized a sign-and-trade [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/report-maple-leafs-trade-mitch-marner-s-to-vegas-agrees-to-eight-year-deal-worth-12-million-aav] on June 30, bringing Marner’s nine-season run with his hometown team to an end. The move came one day before he was set to hit unrestricted free agency. Shortly after, Marner inked an eight-year, $96 million deal with Vegas. During his introductory media conference [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/news/mitch-marner-signs-with-vegas-golden-knights], he even admitted that he’d spoken to Golden Knights players about the market back in February while participating in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. IT’S A NEW ERA IN TORONTO Nylander also reflected on the void in the Leafs dressing room: “We came in and played our first full season together, and our friendship just grew from there,” Nylander said via NHL.com. He explained that Marner was often the one organizing team events — from Halloween parties to team dinners. “Somebody’s going to have to take on that role now, because he did an incredible job doing all that stuff.” Matthews, speaking earlier in the week, emphasized that Toronto now has to move forward [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/that-s-the-business-side-of-it-auston-matthews-breaks-silence-on-mitch-marner-s-departure-from-maple-leafs] — especially after Marner’s career-high 102-point season, which the Leafs will need to replace by committee. The team has added depth with players like Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua this summer. Max Domi is a leading candidate to skate alongside Matthews, though up-and-comers like Matthew Knies could also get that opportunity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latest stories: Will Matthew Knies Make Team USA’s Olympic Roster? Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Reacts To Camp Selection [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/will-matthew-knies-make-team-usa-s-olympic-roster-maple-leafs-auston-matthews-reacts-to-camp-selection] Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews Provides Health Update Before New Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-auston-matthews-provides-health-update-before-new-season] ‘That’s The Business Side Of It’: Auston Matthews Breaks Silence On Mitch Marner’s Departure From Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/that-s-the-business-side-of-it-auston-matthews-breaks-silence-on-mitch-marner-s-departure-from-maple-leafs]
