Former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube believes the club struggled to mitigate the loss of Mitch Marner on and off the ice last season.
"I thought we lost our emotional leader, for sure," Berube told the "Simmer's Morning Skate" podcast.
Berube added, "I thought Mitch was the energy. He brought the energy and the emotion to the game, I thought, on a nightly basis. And in practice. Vocal guy, chatted a lot on the bench, chatted a lot in practice, brought the energy. If he came back to the bench, he let guys know, 'Pick it up, let's go.' He was great. I really enjoyed coaching him."
Marner left Toronto after nine seasons with his hometown team to join the Vegas Golden Knights last summer on an eight-year deal. After winning the Atlantic Division and reaching the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25, the Maple Leafs finished 28th in the league standings last season.
Berube was fired in May after two seasons behind the bench. Toronto also dismissed general manager Brad Treliving amid the disastrous campaign and eventually replaced him with John Chayka.
Marner, meanwhile, notched 80 points in 81 games in his debut season with Vegas and led the playoffs in scoring as the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Marner was heavily scrutinized for the Leafs' playoff ineptitude during his tenure in Toronto. The club made the playoffs for nine straight years with Marner on the roster but only won two rounds in that span. Marner delivered 63 points in 70 career postseason contests with the Maple Leafs.
