Losses of Nikolaj Ehlers and Mitch Marner Too Much to Bear for Jets and Maple Leafs

Call it a 'difficult season,' call it an 'off year,' call it 'the result of many postseason runs.' Call it whatever you'd like, but don't forget to call it truthfully for what it is.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets have a lot in common - more than many may first assume.

Sure, the Leafs are under the microscope 24/7, but things aren't all that much different in Manitoba's capital. It's just a wee bit smaller. The market in Winnipeg loves its as much - if not more - than the market in the GTA.

One could argue that fans in Toronto are the reason players are driven out of town, despite their love for the community, the organization and the game. 

Winnipeg isn't quite as cutthroat when it comes to player performance led departures. For the Jets, it's hard enough to get a half decent player to stick around, no matter their performance. It's the weather, the location... the hotels? The wifi?

Yes, the hotels and wifi...

Winnipeg is not a desirable market for free agents, unless they are local Canadian prairie-raised farm boys willing to tough it out in -40 through the gruelling January cold. It can be difficult, even for the most seasoned Canadians. 

There are prairie-born Canadians, and then there are Torontonians.

And let me telll you, there is a difference. 

Yes, Canada is more than just Toronto and Vancouver - unless you are a famous musician or pop star, that is.

In Winnipeg, the Jets have been a rock solid hockey team for the better part of the past 10 years. 

2016 saw the selection of Patrik Laine at the No. 2 overall draft spot. That move brought with it a sort of rookie stardom not seen within Manitoba since the days of Teemu Selanne. 

Laine thrived in the aviator and polar night blue. It wasn't until growing frustrations with the leadership team forced him to show his hand and ask management to move him elsewhere.

Winnipeg's return for Laine was highlighted by Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Dubois' stint in Winnipeg was highlighted by some heavy two-way play, a feisty on-ice presence, and a soft-spoken French politeness off of it.

Despite his family connections to the city, Dubois had zero intention of sticking around in Manitoba either, and made it clear to the higher ups that they move him before he walks on his own terms.

He was dealt to Los Angeles for a boatload of talent, including Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a draft pick that became Alfons Freij.

He did not work out in Los Angeles and was nearly immediately further dealt to Washington.

Safe to say that Kevin Cheveldayoff won the lottery with Vilardi, Iafallo and Co.

Lost in all this is the effect and affect these moves had on one Nikolaj Ehlers.

A long time second line winger, Ehlers served the Jets very well in his role. He never publicly criticized management or the coaching staff for his deployment - or lack there of.

He was hardly ever used on the team's top line or the top power play for that matter, despite serving as play driver, puck carrier, zone entry master and all around good guy.

The knock on Ehlers was his durability. Generously listed at six feet tall, Ehlers was never more than 170 pounds, soaking wet.

Patrik Laine's surge up the lineup, Pierre-Luc Dubois' arrival and then Gabe Vilardi's insertion into the top line further cemented Ehlers as a second line staple - blocked from most power play duties.

With the Jets operating at Presidents' Trophy pace last season, the option to trade him for valuable assets at the deadline was completely off the table. Winnipeg ended up falling in the second round to the Dallas Stars, effectively ending Ehlers' decade-long run with the organization.

After some serious thought, he decided to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes in the offseason. Ehlers has since gone on to put up another consistent season in a top-six role in Raleigh - to which he does see power play time. His new team, the Canes, are sitting comfortably atop the Eastern Conference standings, while Winnipeg is jockeying for better draft lottery positioning.

Out in Toronto, Mitch Marner served as the scapegoat of decades long failed postseasons. After finally clawing their way back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs - thanks in large part to the trio of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Marner, the Leafs have been unable to get past the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers in recent postseason series.

That, paired with heightened playoff expectations, underperforming offence and continued failures, fans' patience in Leafs Nation reached a breaking point last season. With much of its hatred directed at Marner's lack of offseason goal scoring, the speedy winger aired his grievances to management, to which action was taken.

The Leafs shipped Marner to Vegas in exchange for Nic Roy. The trade was not one that signified Roy's value, but rather made something out of nothing, as opposed to the move in Chevy's playbook that saw Ehlers walk away for zero return. 

 Like that of Ehlers, Marner has gone on to find strong on-ice success in his first season with his new club. Again, like Ehlers, Marner's numbers aren't as high with his second NHL team as they have been over the years with his first, but that should change with team and teammate familiarity. Much like the Hurricanes, Vegas also is set for another postseason run.

Without Marner, Toronto is sitting very close to the Jets - on the outside looking in. The Leafs and Jets both opted to sell at this year's trade deadline - a move that neither fan base would have predicted prior to the start of the 2025-26 season. 

Was it the moving on from Ehlers and Marner that ultimately cost the Jets and Leafs their spots in the postseason? Likely, but we'll never know for sure. 

What we do know is that both teams are slower, looking to rebuild some areas and have seen their respective Stanley Cup windows shrink that much smaller with the departure of said star players. 

Sometimes, it truly is best to seek out greener pastures. Ehlers and Marner are prime examples of just that.