Seasoned sports expert ditches ex-Leaf Mitch Marner to choose Jose Bautista in Most Valuable Toronto Athlete in last 25 years bracket

On TSN Overdrive, seasoned sports expert Bryan Hayes chose Jose Bautista over former Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner in the Most Valuable Toronto Athlete of the Last 25 Years bracket.

Hayes favored Bautista for his iconic bat-flip home run in the 2015 ALDS, a defining playoff moment. He noted that Marner lacks a comparable standout playoff moment.

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"This one's going to be tough because, like Bautista's got the bat flip. Obviously, which is why I will say Bautista because of that playoff moment. Marner doesn't have one playoff moment, like not one big playoff moment," Hayes said.

Despite Marner's impressive regular-season stats (741 points in nine seasons), his playoff performance with only 63 points and no goals in nine season-ending games is seen as lacking a singular, impactful moment compared to Bautista's.

Analyst predicts hostile homecoming for Mitch Marner for his first game against Leafs

January 23rd will be a significant day in the NHL calendar for the upcoming season, as Mitch Marner returns to Scotiabank Arena to face his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, as a Vegas Golden Knight.

NHL analyst E.J. Hradek suggested that fans might boo Marner due to his decision to leave, which some feel put the team in a difficult position.

Hradek noted that Toronto’s passionate fan base, while great, can be tough, and he expects a mixed reception for Marner, not entirely warm or welcoming, as some fans may feel he didn’t give the team a chance to trade him.

"Well, I think there's going to be a lot of booing," Hradek said. "I mean, just because when a guy leaves and he chooses to leave and, you know, some fans would say, 'Hey, you put us in a tough spot because you didn't even give us that opportunity to trade you.' So there'll be a lot of negative.

Mitch Marner was traded to the Golden Knights by the Maple Leafs last month. He eventually signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with Vegas. The contract carries an average annual value of $12 million.