Marner excited for what new faces bring to Maple Leafs

The 2022-23 season featured some of the greatest highs and lows for Mitch Marner and the current generation of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto was able exorcise past playoff demons by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the opening round of the playoffs and entered the second round for the first time since 2004.

The exuberance around the city was short-lived after the Maple Leafs quickly fell into an 0-3 hole to the Florida Panthers in the second round, eventually being dispatched in five games.

"There were a lot of high hopes for this team, and they obviously weren't met," Marner told TSN1050 on Thursday. "There's nothing you can do about it now, [so] it's all about getting ready this summer and being the best prepared you can for the start of the new season."

With another playoff failure in the books, the team underwent some changes in the off-season.

General manager Kyle Dubas was let go and replaced by former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving, while forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Noel Acciari, Michael Bunting, Alexander Kerfoot, and defencemen Justin Holl, Luke Schenn, and Erik Gustafsson all left via unrestricted free agency.

Coming in is new blood in forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Ryan Reaves, and defenceman John Klingberg. The club will have rookie winger Matthew Knies for his first full NHL season.

While Marner was sad to see some of his long-time teammates go, he's excited to see what the presence of his new teammates can bring to the roster.

"The people we brought in [bring] a lot of grit, nastiness, and people who play with vinegar," said Marner. "They're guys who like to get into people's faces and annoy people. They're very good at putting pucks in the net and being around the net. The greatest thing is, especially with [Bertuzzi and Domi], they can fit anywhere in the lineup, while with Reaves you know what he's going to bring to the team with his intensity and physicality."

Reaves was the first player the Maple Leafs brought in on July 1 when he signed a three-year, $4.05 million deal. Marner believes he will have a huge impact on the team.

"He's a guy who's going to throw his weight around, protect guys, and he's going to play the game that you expect," Marner told TSN1050's First Up on Friday. "It's going to be nice to have that on our roster instead of lining up against that big fella."

One of the biggest questions for the Maple Leafs this off-season is the future of star forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Both are entering the final season of their contracts and are eligible for an extension.

While Marner isn't privy to the status of their negotiations, he's trying to make sure he's there for them as a friend.

"Right now, I'm trying to stay out of it and talk to them as a friend," said Marner. "Both guys have a lot of passion and love for this team, and they want to be here. I'm not worried too much about that. I'm their friend before I'm their teammate, and that's the most important thing."

Both Marner and team captain John Tavares will be in a similar situation as Matthews and Nylander next off-season when they are eligible for extensions. After playing for his hometown team for his entire seven-season career, Marner recognizes the extra pressures that come with playing in the Toronto market.

Over the years, the 26-year-old winger has had to come up with strategies and coping mechanisms to deal with the pressure.

"I think the first couple of years were a little more up and down and [be] a bit of a grind every once in a while, especially in your hometown where there's a lot of pressure and responsibilities," said Marner. "Not much has changed in that way, but I think being older now, I have ways to get around it and not too much on myself. I think as you grow up you just find ways to lose the stress and some of the stuff that can really haunt you in the early stages.

"I've been fortunate to have lovely people around me that I can talk to and get things off my chest, vent to, and at the same time get my mind off of hockey. I have two loving parents, a hell of a brother that's always there to defend me, regardless of the situation. I have my fiancé, and a big, chunky chocolate lab that doesn't care what I do and just happy to see me at the end of the day. It's very important to have a support staff and I'm very lucky to have one."