NHL analyst casts doubt over Maple Leafs' 'Mitch Marner-sized hole' yet to be filled in offseason

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a significant move this offseason by trading star winger Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal. The Maple Leafs also brought in forwards Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy and Matias Maccelli as part of their offseason additions.

However, NHL analyst Shayna Goldman believes the Maple Leafs still have a noticeable void in their top-six forward group after Mitch Marner's exit.

"There is still a Mitch Marner-sized hole in the top six," Goldman wrote on The Athletic. "As flawed as his Maple Leafs tenure was, and though his regular-season caliber didn't translate to a postseason environment consistently enough, he was still capable of putting up 100 points in the regular season."

Goldman noted that while bolstering the bottom six is helpful, so is expecting continued progress from Matthew Knies, a more cost-effective John Tavares, and the consistent presence of Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

Still, she believes the offseason feels unfinished due to the clear gap in their top-six forward group.

“But for a team facing the pressure to finally go on a deep run, the offseason feels incomplete with that glaring hole in the top six," Goldman added.

The Maple Leafs will open the 2025-26 NHL season on October 8th against the Montreal Canadiens.

NHL analyst weighs in on Auston Matthews' next linemate after Mitch Marner's departure

According to TSN analyst Mark Masters, Max Domi could be Auston Matthews' next linemate. He believes that Domi and Matthews have shown strong chemistry in the past and could rekindle that connection on the Leafs' top line.

"I'd put (Max) Domi there," Masters said. "He and Matthews work well. I'm sure there's some reluctance, right?” (3:19 onwards)

However, Masters also acknowledged the possibility of William Nylander stepping up to fill the void, though he noted that Nylander has not spent much time alongside Matthews historically.

"Maybe you don't want Nylander there. Maybe you don't want Domi there, of course," Masters said. "But there's no perfect answer to the question right now. There's no perfect player to slot in there."

With the added responsibility of the captaincy, Matthews will be looked upon to assume greater "ownership" of the team. This could drive him to elevate his game and leadership even further, as he seeks to guide the Maple Leafs to success in the absence of his long-time linemate, Marner.