According to reports, Mitch Marner turned down a trade to Carolina a year ago, and now that same team has defeated him in the Stanley Cup. The irony was quickly recognized by the internet.
Jen’s fan post served as the basis for the framing. Marner supposedly declined a deal to Carolina in March, knowing that he would walk to Vegas as a free agent regardless.
According to that account, the Leafs forfeited Mikko Rantanen’s comeback due to their refusal. Toronto didn’t get anything back, and Marner went for free.
There is a huge caveat here. Trade details are unconfirmed lore, and this is merely a supporter recalling an old account. Handle the specifics with caution.
But the real part is poetic. Carolina just defeated Marner’s team for the Cup on Vegas ice, and he is currently a Golden Knight.
Even with the chopped conclusion, the fan’s post manages to capture the whole karmic arc.
The Leafs’ real gut blow is at the conclusion of this deal.
The on-ice timing exacerbated the situation. Vegas came up short as Marner posted no goals, one assist, and a minus-5 over the last three games.
Therefore, for him, the tale is quite tragic. Reportedly, he rejected Carolina, and then he went silent and lost his life’s most crucial series to them.
Now, because it matters, comes the Rantanen wrinkle. According to the fan, Toronto would have acquired Rantanen if the Carolina deal had gone through, but Rantanen is now a member of the Dallas team. Than a tidy line implies, that path is less clear.
So don’t believe the exact mechanics. There are too many moving elements in the trade folklore to be considered true.
Toronto is certain uglier. One year after supposedly spurning them, a franchise player leaves for nothing and is now a Cup Final loser to the squad.
This is my take: The irony is delicious, but disconnect the karma from the confirmed. The story about Rantanen’s refusal is not true. Not the loss against Carolina.
This is a bittersweet vindication for Leafs supporters. Seeing the one who left come up empty on the biggest platform reduces the pain of losing him for nothing.
Next season, Marner will have to deal with the irony of this Cup Final collapse. There’s a lot to skate with, and the questions aren’t going anywhere.
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