NHL Rumors: Do Maple Leafs Owe Craig Berube To Give It A Shot With Mitch Marner?

TSN: Frank Corrado when asked what the Toronto Maple Leafs plan is for Mitch Marner.

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“Everyone has their own opinion on this. What should the Leafs do with Mitch Marner? What should be the correct plan?

You have to look at what the Leafs did here after July 1, July 1, how different this team looks. So let's look at the facts. They revamped their blue line. They spent money to bring in (Chris) Tanev, (Oliver) Ekman-Larson, (Jani) Hakanpaa. Timothy Liljegren is back in the mix.

So if you were to take Mitch Marner and think there was a defenseman coming back, chances are that may not be the case because they spent money to rejuvenate the blue line.

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Now, up front, the team looks relatively the same. No Tyler Bertuzzi, but you can make a case that Bobby McMann will step into that role. When I think things are going right here for Mitch Marner and the Leafs, the Leafs owe it to Craig Berube to see what he can do with Mitch Marner. To see what he can do with this core four. To see if a new coach, a new style comes into playtime, can he find ways to get more offense into this team?

You know you can say you have to make a trade and move on because things didn't work out in the playoffs. But last year he became the new general manager, he tried to do his best to work on the edges of this team. Now there's a new coach, you owe it to that coach to see what he can do with that team while he's working on the fringes again.

And the way the Leafs look now, with a rejuvenated blue line, they might be a better team, a stronger team than last year. The only thing is that everyone at Atlantic is as good as they were last year, so it might not move the needle too much.

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But with Mitch Marner and everything that has changed for the Leafs, a rejuvenated blue line and the fact that nothing has happened so far, and the no-movement clause, it might be best to bring him back and see what Craig Berube can do with that. core four team with Mitch Marner.”