Adam Copeland shared his thoughts on former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner's postseason performance with the Vegas Golden Knights. Copeland said he does not care about the off-ice drama involving Marner, but praised him as a player.
Although Marner came up short in his attempt to win the Stanley Cup, he proved his doubters wrong. In 22 postseason games, Marner scored 10 goals and added 19 assists for a total of 29 points.
Marner was criticized for not coming through in clutch moments for the Maple Leafs during his tenure. However, in his first season with the Golden Knights, he was a fixture in the Conn Smythe conversations.
Marner's exit from the Leafs was not well received. He had a no-movement clause that required his approval if the organization wanted to trade him, which management attempted to do. That decision led to the Leafs risking losing him leave for nothing.
The Leafs received some compensation through a sign-and-trade with the Golden Knights. However, it paled in comparison to what they could have received had they traded Marner while he still had time remaining on his deal.
Since Marner's exit, particularly during the postseason, there was added resentment towards the Toronto native. He previously spoke out about dealing with some dark times during his Leafs tenure. Most recently, his agent added more fuel to the fire with his comments about how the organization treated his client.
Adam Copeland heaped praise on Mitch Marner for his postseason performance with the Golden Knights.
Copeland, a lifelong Maple Leafs fan, recalled the criticism that Marner faced during his previous playoff exits. The AEW star said the Toronto native proved he could perform in high-pressure situations and deliver in clutch moments.
"Man, [Marner] got that one goal and I just went 'Oh, man, he's going to win the Conn Smythe. He's gonna do it.' And also, I like Marner," Copeland said during his appearance on Leafs Morning Take . "I never had issues with the guy who's just trying to play hockey. Whatever. You can get into all the [off-ice stories]. Inside stuff, we don't need to know about. Who cares?"
He continued:
"I just want to watch hockey, man. And that dude is really fun to watch play. That's what I boil my opinions down to."
Even though Marner was unsuccessful in winning the Stanley Cup, Copeland said he was a joy to watch during the playoffs.
Copeland was impressed and believes the Golden Knights were better suited to Marner's playing style. The AEW star was also happy to see Marner achieve playoff success despite wearing another uniform.
"He was a blast to watch in the playoffs, he really was. I was happy for him to see him have that success," Copeland told Leafs Morning Take . "And it's not like he can't play in the playoffs. You know, it's just stuff happens. Clearly, it was a better dynamic for him out there [in Vegas] than it was in Toronto."
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