A brief collection of observations from the past week in hockey, covering both serious topics and lighter notes. The off-season has arrived. Let`s get started!
When considering star players leaving a team without any return, the situation with Mitch Marner potentially departing Toronto for free agency is quite similar to John Tavares`s exit from Long Island.
And what was the reaction to that?
In 2018, Tavares left after his second-best season (84 points) to become a highly sought-after free agent.
Kyle Dubas successfully recruited Tavares to the Toronto Maple Leafs, reportedly with the help of a young winger creating a recruitment video.
Similarly, Marner, who is said to be seeking similar attention from interested teams, is set to leave for free agency after his most successful season (102 points), resulting in no compensation for the Leafs.
To be accurate, one distinction is that the Maple Leafs reached the playoffs this time, whereas the Islanders failed to qualify in 2018.
However, the clear commonality in both instances, aside from any lingering resentment, is the extremely poor handling of valuable team assets.
