Mitch Marner has heard it all before. He's been called a "traitor" and a "vile person," among other things. But one name has stuck with him in recent years, painting him in a less-than-flattering light. That would be a "playoff failure."
It's easy to see why, too! The winger hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, scoring 13 goals and 50 assists in 70 career postseason games. Those numbers aren't raising eyebrows any time soon.
If they were? Well, let's say they're raising eyebrows for all the wrong reasons... at least in Toronto.
But upon further inspection, those worries might be overblown. You see, people have said similar things about Jack Eichel upon arriving at the Golden Knights. They called him "an injured failure" (or something to that degree) and "toxic." He feels Marner's pain.
Then, a funny thing happened. Eichel scored six goals and 20 assists during the Stanley Cup run, cementing himself as a clutch player. Suddenly, that dialogue was shattered like a 31-year-old Sharks fan's Stanley Cup hopes every year.
That's partially why Golden Knights fans shouldn't think too much about the former "Core Four" member's past issues. In fact, another player had the same problems before becoming a Golden Knight.
Mark Stone dealt with similar issues before becoming a Golden Knights legend
I was browsing through X this weekend when I saw this pop up on my timeline.
For no particular reason:
— Jack Manning (@NHLJackManning) July 6, 2025
When Mark Stone was acquired by the Golden Knights, he had 5 goals and 8 assists in 27 playoff games.
Since then, he's had 36 goals and 36 assists 85 playoff games.#VegasBorn
It's funny because it's the same sentiment the Captain heard upon arriving in Las Vegas. He was a "playoff failure," scoring five goals and eight assists with the Ottawa Senators (27 games). Bizarrely enough, he has scored 36 goals and 36 assists with the Golden Knights during the playoffs (85 games).
What's more, he scored 11 goals and 13 assists during the Stanley Cup year. That narrative of being a "playoff failure" suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a "playoff contributor" label.
It doesn't matter if it's Eichel or Stone changing their fortunes with the Golden Knights. There's something about leaving a perennial loser and becoming a solid player afterward. Marner highlighted that in a sense during his press conference, lauding the winning culture that the Golden Knights brought.
That's what awaits the newest winger in his Vegas residency. Fans shouldn't worry too much about past failures because the stars before him dealt with similar situations. That's what being placed in a winning system that can go past the second round will get you.