"He's a star": Leafs GM defends $65.4M Mitch Marner amid 'too much' media criticism

Alternate captain Mitch Marner has seen a lot of criticism in the media for his play and the overall lack of championship success that the Toronto Maple Leafs have had. General manager Brad Treliving is aware of that and has an inside look at exactly who Marner is and how he plays. The GM believes the criticism might not be fair.

Treliving said on the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast (1:26:44) on Tuesday:

"I think Mitch took a lot of heat, and unduly so. I understand it. When you are the top guys, to whom much is given, much is expected. I get that. Mitch had come through a high-ankle sprain. But this goes for all of our guys. Sure, we always want more from everybody, but I think it is unfair."

Treliving said that the team's goaltending can be better as well as its defense, adding:

"There are other things we can be better at so that those guys have success. I am always going to support my players. I thought he took far too much criticism. We are fortunate to have Mitch. We get to see him every day. He is a star."

The GM believes his team is lucky to have the star player and that the media may want to consider toning down its criticism of Marner, a $65.4 million man, per Spotrac.

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Leafs GM continues praise of Mitch Marner ahead of regular season

The NHL regular season is less than a week away, and Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is coming to the defense of Mitch Marner. The star has been under fire lately, but Treliving doesn't want to hear it.

Mitch Marner got the praise of his GM (Imagn)

He praised his player, saying that he's effective against penalties and loves being a Maple Leaf so much that he "wears it" on his sleeve. Via the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast, he added:

"Our job is to help him be at his best all the time. I am not going to worry about the playoffs right now. We have to worry about getting there, camp, and having a good start. But Mitch is a fabulous player. We are lucky to have him. He does a lot for our team."

Treliving said that Marner was "really dug in this summer." He is expecting big things from the star player in the 2024-25 NHL season.