Auston Matthews Directly Addresses Mitch Marner Trade for the First Time
Photo credit: Edit from The New York Times
Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews addressed the Mitch Marner trade to the Golden Knights for the first time, stating he will definitely miss the former Leaf.
Auston Matthews isn't beating around the bush anymore about Mitch Marner's departure from Toronto.
Auston Matthews Will 'Obviously' Miss Mitch Marner, But Understands His Trade
The Maple Leafs captain spoke to Hockey Night in Brampton on Wednesday, his initial public comments since Mitch Marner was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights and signed an eight-year, $96 million extension.
"We'll obviously miss him," Matthews said of his long-time linemate. "He's a great friend, great teammate."
"That's kind of the business side of it, that's tough," Matthews added. "But obviously wish him nothing but the best ... we'll just keep it moving."
"That's kind of the business side of it, that's tough," Matthews added. "But obviously wish him nothing but the best ... we'll just keep it moving."
Auston Matthews and Marner entered the league simultaneously in 2016-17 and soon contributed to remaking a struggling Leafs team into a playoff competitor.
Over nine straight postseason appearances, the duo produced plenty of regular-season success, including multiple 50-win seasons, division titles, and individual accolades.
But playoff disappointment lingered in the air, with Toronto winning only twice in the first round during their streak. That inability to move forward eventually set the stage for Marner's offseason exit.
Despite the split, Matthews is optimistic about the future. One player to look for is 22-year-old winger Matthew Knies, who burst onto the radar with 58 points in his inaugural season and finished in the top five on the team in goals and points.
"Feeling good, a lot of changes, but feeling excited about the guys we brought in and obviously excited about the guys that we have," Matthews said as he prepared to take the ice for Canada's largest charity hockey game at the CAA Centre. "I know we have a great team and great group of guys in the locker room, so looking forward to getting started. Guys are going to have to take some steps, but I think that's a good thing, a good problem to have, so really looking forward to it."
Matthew Knies and Matthews were added to USA Hockey's initial list for the 2026 Winter Olympics earlier this week, another milestone in his journey.
Matthews reserved special praise for his young teammate for the accolade, pointing to his experience abroad in 2022.
"I've talked to him a little bit, I think it's well deserved," Matthews explained. "I mean, he's a great player and still just coming into his own and is only going to get better, so I know he's really looking forward to the opportunity obviously ... it'll be a good time for, I think, everybody to just get together and be in that kind of atmosphere with a bunch of other really good players."
As the Leafs prepare to kick off the new season, there are many questions raised as to how Marner's absence would affect the team. In the meantime, Matthews seems focused on forward progress rather than reliving the past.
Toronto did lose a building block player, but with Matthews on the front line and youngsters breaking through, the Leafs are determined to demonstrate that they can still hold their own.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 21 | 604 ANSWERS Auston Matthews Directly Addresses Mitch Marner Trade for the First Time Will Toronto or Vegas be the better team next season? | ||
| Toronto | 217 | 35.9 % |
| Vegas | 387 | 64.1 % |
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