Mitch Marner might want to sit down with LeBron James and talk about returning to the raucous environments of his former team. You see, the Vegas Golden Knights megastar is prepping to go into the lion's den, aka Scotiabank Arena, on Friday. The opponent? His former club, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Golden Knights star was part of a sign-and-trade deal that sent Nicolas Roy to Toronto. Afterwards, he inked an eight-year, $96 million deal. All of this and wild tampering accusations capped off a crazy time for the Olympian, making him public enemy No. 1 in Toronto.
I mean, I can imagine something like this. The difference? Mark Stone and Jack Eichel are joining him in the whole NWO scene.
Man, I can only imagine the leg drop that Marner would give to Auston Matthews here. "BuT wHaT aBoUt ThE tOrOnTo ChArItIeS, mItCh?! WhAt AbOuT tHe ChIlDrEn?!"
Well, it seems that this isn't on Marner's mind. He's enjoying his January in 60-degree weather instead of snow blizzards, making it the best decision of his life. Most of all, he's in first place in his respective division! You can't say that about the Maple Leafs, who are on the outside looking in regarding the Atlantic Division.
The stats show that ex-Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner is starting to pick it up for the Vegas Golden Knights
Looking at Marner's stats with the Vegas Golden Knights, you can say that he hasn't "lived up to his billing." However, MoneyPuck reveals that more variety is helping the winger thrive (all situations).
Mitch Marner With The Golden Knights | Shooting Talent Above Average | Rebounds Created Above Expected | Corsi | Fenwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025-26 | 11.4% | 9.4 | 60% | 62% |
Mind you, these are all career-highs for the Olympian. But those same categories have also seen Marner thrive on the power play, boasting career-high numbers (with the exception of rebounds created above expected).
Mitch Marner With The Vegas Golden Knights | Shooting Talent Above Expected | Rebounds Created Above Expected | Corsi | Fenwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025-26 | 11.4% | 1.7% | 91% | 89% |
It helps to have big-time pieces like Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev on the unit, where they can thrive from Marner's talents. After all, the winger has three goals and 13 assists on the power play this season. But that can also be attributed to Marner's skill at the wing.
That can also be attributed to the complementary style that the Golden Knights play. Vegas's lineup isn't top-heavy like the Maple Leafs, relying on scoring depth on every line. You see names like William Karlsson and Reilly Smith carry the load and provide ample scoring. It's why the Golden Knights have a Stanley Cup to their name. You can't say the same about Toronto.
All of this will add fuel to the fire for Friday's colossal matchup between the Maple Leafs and the Golden Knights. You know what will come with Marner setting foot in Toronto again. There could be a tribute video and there could be friendly reunions with former teammates.
But there will certainly be fans booing the Olympian and letting their voices be heard. You could already hear the opposition boo every time Marner touched the puck at T-Mobile Arena. Imagine how loud those same boos will be once he steps onto the Scotiabank Arena ice. It's a good thing he's got the stats to silence the haters.