In all my years covering the Toronto Maple Leafs, I rarely find myself wanting to push back against fans, even when I don’t always agree with what they say. But with the trade of Mitch Marner, am I right in getting the sense that Maple Leafs fans seem to want it both ways when it comes to the “Core Four” salary debate?
Related: Maple Leafs 2025-26 Roster Projection 2.0: Post Free Agency
Over the years, once they saw that winning a Stanley Cup was not going to be a cakewalk, even with the likes of elite players – the Core Four specifically – they seemed to conflate their complaints to the fact that having so much salary tied up in a few stars held the team back.
With Marner Moved On, Have Fans Shifted Their Tone?
Now that Marner has flown the coop, I’ve noticed a shift in tone from fans. For years, people wanted him gone — too expensive, too soft, too invisible in big moments. But now that one of those core stars is gone, there’s a growing realization that something big is missing. The return, while offering salary cap space and a solid third-line player in Nicolas Roy, hasn’t felt like enough.
Marner might have been polarizing, but he was also a great player — a consistent point producer and a huge part of the Maple Leafs’ offensive engine. Fans wanted a one-for-one deal that would bring back a star without compromising the salary cap, but that was never a realistic option. (Although who knows about former Calder Trophy candidate Matias Maccelli? He was worth a gamble.) Instead of Marner’s lopsided salary, the Maple Leafs finally have some financial breathing room, yet all that many see is that the team looks weaker than it did before. Logic suggests they are correct.
Wanted in Vegas, Questioned in Toronto
For years, Marner seemed to sit at the centre of a polarizing debate in Toronto. Was he worth the contract? Could he lead in the playoffs? Did the team need to move on from him to build a better, more balanced roster? Many Maple Leafs fans had convinced themselves the answer was no—that he wasn’t the guy to take this team to the next level. They didn’t want him anymore.
But outside the Toronto bubble, the view was different. And Vegas made that abundantly clear. To their credit, the Golden Knights stepped up and made a definitive move. They believed in Marner’s value, not just as a point producer but as a game-changer. They saw a player who could elevate their team, and they paid accordingly, both in terms of contract and commitment.
It’s a telling contrast. The Maple Leafs fan base grew restless and impatient, but in Vegas, Marner will be seen as a key piece, not a problem to solve. He’s not from there, but make no mistake: he’s wanted there. And that matters. That kind of belief in a player doesn’t just happen. It comes from understanding what he brings, both on the ice and in the room.
That’s what makes the trade so hard to digest for many Toronto fans. After years of demanding a shakeup, they got it—but the return, while practical and salary-friendly, feels underwhelming. In giving up an elite player, the Leafs didn’t get a star back. They got flexibility, a good two-way centre, and a bet on future structure.
Vegas got Marner. Toronto got more salary cap space. And now, the real test begins: whether what the Maple Leafs gained will ever come close to what they gave up.
Vegas, to their credit, put their money where their mouth was. They believed in Marner’s value, and they paid for it. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, now have to reset. That’s what fans have wanted for years. However, the return feels excessively underwhelming to those who had hoped for something more impressive.
Related: Matias Maccelli Joins the Maple Leafs: Smart Bet or Roster Misfit?
I read the fans’ comments on the posts and accept them as accurate representations of what they are thinking and feeling. Perhaps the answer is as simple as that it’s now a different group of Maple Leafs fans making comments. The Marner backers have begun to speak more loudly than they did earlier. But if that’s not the case, there seems to be only one option. The mood on Marner has changed.
If so, why have Maple Leafs fans acted ironically now? What does the commentary at the end of posts on The Hockey Writers reveal about fan expectations, identity, and the process of building a winning team?
Are Maple Leafs Fans Changing Their Tune?
It seems worth repeating that, for years, Maple Leafs fans have been pretty vocal about one thing: the “Core Four” — John Tavares, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Marner — were eating up way too much of the salary cap. The common belief was that having so much money tied up in these four stars made it impossible to build the depth the team needed to get over the playoff hump. It was a frequent topic in fan circles and media alike — that the Maple Leafs were hamstrung by their top-heavy payroll.
Related: Nicolas Roy Brings Size, Skill & Playoff Snarl to the Maple Leafs
But now, after Marner has left and the team’s offseason looks a lot different, something interesting is happening. That old gripe about the core taking up too much salary? It’s largely gone quiet.
Where Did the Salary Complaints Go?
If you dive into recent fan discussions, you’ll notice a shift. Instead of complaining about how much the core was getting paid, many fans are now focused on just how tough it’s going to be to replace Marner. The conversation isn’t about the cost of the core anymore — it’s about the huge hole Marner’s departure leaves on the ice.
There’s a lot of skepticism about the new players brought in to fill that gap — Nicolas Roy, Maccelli, and Michael Pezzetta — especially when you consider that the team had to cut other players (Pontus Holmberg, for example) to fit them all in. But even so, the salary cap argument doesn’t come up as much. Fans are more worried about how the team’s offense and overall chemistry will look without their best two-way playmaker.
I Get Why Fans Might Be Changing Their Minds
This change in perspective makes a great deal of sense when you consider it. Star players don’t just put points on the board; they give fans hope and excitement. Having Matthews, Marner, and the rest of the core on the ice means the team felt like a legitimate contender. When an elite player like Marner leaves, that hope suddenly feels more fragile, and the money spent on stars no longer feels like a problem but more like a loss.
Related: Rielly Trade Odds, Hint McDavid Signing & More NHL Rumors
Still, there’s a certain irony here, too. The exact salary structure that some fans used to complain about — “too much money on a few guys” — is now something many fans might wish they still had. Because it meant top-tier talent, and that talent gave the Maple Leafs a real shot at making deep playoff runs. Every single year, they made the postseason. And that’s something the Boston Bruins can no longer say.
What Do Fans Really Want from This Team?
This tells us something more profound about Maple Leafs fans. Ultimately, what they want is a team that can win. Collecting a roster of NHL stars is the clearest sign that the team is serious about contending. Yes, stars come with hefty price tags, but fans seem to accept that because they understand how hard it is to win without them.
In looking back now that Marner is gone, could it be that the old “salary cap problem” was less about dollars and more about identity and hope? The Core Four symbolized competitiveness and possibility. Now that the team’s identity is shifting with Marner gone, the conversation has naturally shifted too.
What Does This Mean Going Forward?
This change in fan attitudes raises some critical questions. Pragmatic issues are emerging. How will the Maple Leafs balance star power with the need for depth in the coming years? Can they rebuild or retool in a way that keeps fans hopeful without incurring significant costs? And how do fans reconcile their desire for stars with the realities of the NHL’s salary cap?
(Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
One thing is clear: losing a core player like Marner (big salary or not) forces fans (me, included) to rethink what truly matters. The tension between paying for stars, building a solid roster, and keeping fans excited is very real — and it won’t go away any time soon.
The Big Takeaway
In the end, there’s a ton of irony in all this. Fans who once grumbled about how much the big salaries were holding the team back might now be longing for a return to that very situation. Because stars equal hope, excitement, and a chance at playoff success. And sometimes, when things change, we realize we miss what we used to criticize.
Related: Remembering Maple Leafs’ Goalie Jonathan Bernier
It’s a reminder that fan perspectives can shift quickly when teams change — and that in hockey, like in life, what seems like a problem one day can be the thing we wish we still had the next.
