Leafs Captain Auston Matthews Breaks His Silence on Mitch Marner's Trade Out of Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs look a little different on paper heading into the 2025-26 season following the departure of superstar winger Mitch Marner, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nicolas Roy earlier this summer.

Marner had long been growing tired of the intense market pressure and media coverage in Toronto, revealing that his plans to leave the organization had been in the works for some time.

Still, even with Marner planning to leave, some in the Leafs' fan base, and even some players on the team, were surprised to see him go, and only a handful of his teammates have publicly offered their thoughts on the matter.

On Wednesday, just before the Hockey Night in Brampton charity event, Auston Matthews had an opportunity to offer his thoughts on the Marner departure.

Matthews and his teammates have had some time to process the news and have likely known about Marner's plans well before the rest of us, but even he is still struggling to come to terms with the reality of it.

Naturally, with Marner leaving, Matthews will have at least one new linemate this summer -- though it's still unclear as to who that might end up being. There are a few options available, including newcomer Matias Maccelli and fan favourite Max Domi, who may have the inside track for the job.