Reporter Throws Heavy Shade at Maple Leafs with Harsh Forecast for the Team

While there may be valid questions about whether the Toronto Maple Leafs have taken a step forward for 2025-26, BleacherReport.com analyst Sara Civian's take on the situation is perhaps too harsh.

Civian has been around hockey and the NHL for quite some time, though her normal beat was covering the Carolina Hurricanes. Recently, Civian composed a ranking of the top 10 contenders for the 2026 Stanley Cup , with the Maple Leafs a respectable ninth place.

However, in explaining why the Leafs were ranked where they were, Civian said Toronto is not in the same spot it was last season without Mitch Marner or a suitable replacement on offense.

Replacing Marner with Nicolas Roy in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights over a month ago clearly isn't the answer. However, as analyst Damien Cox said in a very convincing argument, moves made since the offseason started have been more lateral than anything else.

In short, the Leafs shouldn't struggle to make the playoffs, and have lost little when it comes to success in the postseason. Marner's absence doesn't make them a worse team, but it doesn't make them better.

If Anthony Stolarz, whose view on life as a member of the Maple Leafs is vastly different from Marner's, can stay healthy there's no reason Toronto can't be an even better team in 2025-26 than in the previous.

The post season offense question lingers, and unrest amongst the fan base is likely if it's not addressed sometime between now and next season's trade deadline.