"Yeah. It was between Toronto and Florida as to where I was going to go. Ultimately, I never thought it was going to be possible to re-sign with Florida. I really didn't, just with the guys we had up (for a contract). I was serious about what I said about where they are as a group and the way they're competing now. They compete the right way, which is kind of the hurdle they had to get over."
"It is just unfortunate that the fans ran Marner out of town. That is a huge impact for their group; he's a point-a-game player, and that hurts. But they're a great team, and they're a great organization. But once the opportunity to come up to sign (in Florida), there was no question it was where I wanted to be. With where we were, I just didn't think it was going to be able to happen."
Brad Marchand remained in Florida, signing with the Panthers instead of joining the Toronto Maple Leafs when the opportunity arose. The decision reflected roster realities and comfort with the Panthers' contract situation. The Maple Leafs have become a difficult, hard-to-play-against team that competes the right way. The departure of Mitch Marner from Toronto had a significant negative effect, removing a point-per-game contributor. The playoff series versus Toronto proved tougher than expected and represented a must-win. Upcoming divisional and road-heavy games in January are crucial, with every point carrying major importance for Eastern Conference standings.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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