NHL analyst pegs Maple Leafs to be "worse" in the regular season with Mitch Marner's exit breaking up Toronto's Core Four

NHL analyst Mike Johnson believes the Toronto Maple Leafs could take a step back in the regular season following Mitch Marner’s departure, ending the “Core Four.”

Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, 2025, as part of a sign-and-trade that saw him ink an eight-year, $96 million deal.

Speaking on TSN’s Domino’s That’s Hockey, Johnson said,

"They're going to be good. But I would say I'm going to I'm going to split it. In the regular season. I think they're going to be worse. I think they're going to be worse this year without Mitch Marner on their team."

"And they're hoping that that won't matter because they'll make the playoffs anyways, and in the playoffs, they will be better.” (1:52 onwards)

Johnson noted that the Leafs were near the top of the league in one-goal wins, wins while being outshot, and ranked among the leaders in PDO, a mix of shooting and save percentage that often balances out over time.

The analyst doubts all of those breaks will fall Toronto’s way again, especially without Marner’s impact on both ends of the ice.

He also pointed out that Auston Matthews, if healthy, will replace a lot of Mitch Marner’s offense, and William Nylander, John Tavares, and the power play should keep the attack strong.

Goaltending is also a bright spot, with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll forming what Johnson called an elite duo. Defensively, the Leafs return the same core, which provides stability and structure that new head coach Craig Berube likes.

Still, Johnson sees the forward group as a “wild card” without Marner and believes the Leafs may not rack up the same point total as last season, even if they remain a playoff team.

NHL analyst Craig Button on Toronto's Core Four without Mitch Marner

Co-host Craig Button believes the Toronto Maple Leafs could actually improve without Mitch Marner, arguing that the team relied too heavily on its “Core Four” in the past.

“They're going to be better because I think they relied on too too few to do too much. And so all you hear about is a core four.” Button said.

Button pointed out that new head coach Craig Berube was quick to note at training camp that he no longer had to hear about the “Core Four,” a sentiment that likely extends to the rest of the roster. With Marner gone, more responsibility will naturally fall on other players to step up.

“And I'm going to go right to the captain. This is now clearly Austin Matthews team. He is the guy that can drive this team. We know that his abilities are world class, one of the best in the world.” Button added.

Toronto opens its regular season against the Montreal Canadiens on October 8.