Toronto Maple Leafs fans could be witnessing the metamorphosis of Mitch Marner into Phil Kessel.
We all know the entire backstory of Phil Kessel’s tortured tenure in Toronto. He was supposed to be one of the elements that led the Maple Leafs to the promised land about 15 years ago.
That didn’t happen, of course. But when he got traded, the move promised to send him to a Stanley Cup contender. That contender was Pittsburgh. In the end, Kessel won two Stanley Cups alongside Sidney Crosby.
That’s the scenario playing out for Marner. After the Vegas Golden Knights stole Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, the internet buzzed with Marner being the hero. His well-timed shot block in the final moments of the game helped the Golden Knights preserve their comeback win.
Now, Marner is three wins away from becoming the latest ex-Maple Leafs player to leave Toronto and go on to win a Cup elsewhere.
There have been many (i.e., Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri), but no one was more controversial than Kessel. Kessel became the whipping boy for all those dark seasons in the early 2010s in Toronto.
Marner promised to erase those painful memories.
Sadly, the long-awaited championship never got to Toronto during Marner’s tenure. His departure vilified his legacy. But, much to the chagrin of many of us in Leafs Nation, Marner could get the last laugh by winning a Cup.
Such a situation would pretty much turn Marner into Kessel. Any vestiges of the former fifth-overall pick of the 2005 NHL Draft would dissipate, elevating Marner into a new sort of mythical figure in the Leafs’ wall of shame.
Incidentally, Kessel won a Stanley Cup in his final year, while playing precisely with the Vegas Golden Knights. It's funny how coincidences have a way of working things out.
While this situation does not necessarily diminish Marner’s contributions, the former Leafs’ first-round pick is not part of the “Core” anything. He was a complementary piece that helped the Golden Knights win. In fact, it’s even worth assuming that Vegas would have won without Marner.
Let’s see if Marner can indeed hoist a Cup in Vegas. If he does, he will forever go down in Toronto sports history as another former Leaf who had to leave in order to win a championship. Marner will join some interesting company, company that he might not necessarily want to be associated with.
