NHL analyst compares Mitch Marner's exit from Leafs to Vince Carter's ugly departure from Toronto in 2004 

NHL analyst Bryan Hayes compared Mitch Marner's exit from the Toronto Maple Leafs to Vince Carter's ugly departure from the Toronto Raptors back in 2004.

After months of speculation, Marner was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday in a sign-and-trade move. As part of the deal, he signed an eight-year contract with the Maple Leafs before being shipped out.

Speaking on TSN's "FanDuel Overdrive", Hayes said:

"I can't think of a more polarizing superstar in the city in recent years. I can't think of a more vitriolic exit for a superstar in my lifetime."

(Timestamp: 0:58 onwards)

He went on to compare Marner's situation to Carter's back in 2004 when the relationship between Carter and the Raptors had completely deteriorated.

Carter had publicly shown his discontent and poor performance which ultimately led to him being traded to the New Jersey Nets for little in return. Raptors fans felt at the time that he had quit on the team.

Hayes further noted that while Marner didn't officially demand a trade like Carter did, it was clear Marner wanted out. Hayes said:

“That’s why I keep driving at — I’d love to know when he made up this decision. It would appear to me it was last summer. He (Marner) decided, 'I’m out of here.'

"Maybe it was going to Vegas, and he knew it was going to be available to him. But he didn’t demand out like Vince. He didn’t quit on them. Vince quit…," he added.

He further explained that over the past nine years, there might have been a trail of signs suggesting this outcome was inevitable for Marner.

Hayes pointed out that although the circumstances are different, Vince Carter faced widespread dislike with virtually no support, whereas many fans still want to see Marner come back.

Jeff O'Neill's take on Mitch Marner's time in Toronto

Co-host Jeff O'Neill shared his perspective on Mitch Marner's tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. O'Neill acknowledged that Marner was a "fantastic player" and was paid appropriately, but expressed confusion over Marner's public relations approach:

“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.”

(Timestamp: 3:54 onwards)

O’Neill highlighted that Marner is one of the top players on the Maple Leafs and always exciting to watch, but he never quite grasped the notion that Marner was somehow treated unfairly.