"Gave everything I had" - Mitch Marner pens emotional thank you note for Maple Leafs fans as he completes Golden Knights trade

Mitch Marner was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in a sign-and-trade move. The right wing signed an eight-year contract with the Maple Leafs before being shipped out. Center Nicolas Roy has gone to the Maple Leafs as part of the trade.

Marner shared an emotional farewell on Instagram Tuesday morning following the official announcement of his sign-and-trade move to the Vegas Golden Knights.

“When I was drafted, all I wanted was to help bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto. That was always the goal, and I came up short,” Marner wrote.

"I know how much this team means to this city, and I know the expectations that come with wearing this jersey. I gave everything I had, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. That’s hard to admit, because I wanted it so badly, for all of us."

The 28-year-old was drafted fourth by the Leafs in 2015 and grew up a fan of the team. In 657 games with Toronto, Marner recorded 741 points, ranking fifth all-time in franchise scoring.

His 520 career assists are the fourth-most in team history. However, despite Marner's success, the Leafs failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in his tenure. He also got 63 points in 70 playoff games.

In his message, Marner expressed gratitude to the city, his teammates, and the entire organization, but made sure to dedicate a heartfelt note to the fans, many of whom had seen his departure coming after the way the season wrapped up.

NHL analyst Jeff O'Neill talks about Mitch Marner's time with Leafs

Speaking on TSN's "FanDuel Overdrive," NHL analyst Jeff O'Neill acknowledged that Mitch Marner is a "fantastic player" who was paid appropriately, but he expressed confusion over Marner's public relations approach.

According to O'Neill,

“It seemed like he always had this thing where he was kind of getting screwed somehow, and I never really understood that. People were always all over him, or he was getting the short end of the stick, or I don't know. I could never figure that out and maybe I read that wrong.” (3:54 onwards)

O'Neill acknowledged that Marner was undeniably one of the Leafs’ most talented and entertaining players. But he admitted he never fully understood the idea that Marner had been wronged or mistreated during his time in Toronto.