"An underachieving season and the sting of watching former star Mitch Marner deliver yet another clutch moment in the national colours of Team Canada might have been enough to test the patience of Toronto Maple Leafs fans. The scrutiny, however, only intensified as NHL analyst Craig Button and veteran Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone offered unflattering assessments of the state of affairs in Toronto, criticizing the market's treatment of its star players."
"The TSN analyst then summarized the failures of the Maple Leafs' management. In discussing the current era, the former Calgary Flames' GM said, "I think they (Maple Leafs) botched it. I think, by extension, they've failed Auston Matthews." Button stated Marner became a "scapegoat" in Toronto, the current edition of the Leafs is a "flawed" team that "isn't deep, isn't strong", and that Matthews now gets blamed for their shortcomings. He went on to say, "They're making Auston Matthews the scapegoat.""
"Host Andy Strickland commented on how Leafs' captain Auston Matthews looks much more comfortable at the Winter Olympics, surrounded by other star players on the United States team. That's when Button unleashed his condemnation of Toronto. Button used the example of Matthews's former linemate, Marner, setting up new teammate Stone for a Canadian goal with a beautiful backhanded saucer pass earlier in the Olympic tournament as a reason why the Leafs' sniper is missing Marner."
An underachieving season and Mitch Marner's clutch play for Team Canada intensified scrutiny of the Toronto Maple Leafs. NHL analyst Craig Button and Vegas forward Mark Stone offered unflattering assessments of Toronto's handling of its stars. Host Andy Strickland noted Auston Matthews appears more comfortable on a United States Olympic team, prompting Button's condemnation of Maple Leafs management and fan treatment. Button cited Marner's Olympic setup for Mark Stone as evidence of what Toronto misses, called the Leafs' roster flawed, not deep or strong, and said management botched the era and failed Matthews. Button listed past mishandlings of Lanny McDonald, Darryl Sittler, Nazem Kadri, and Zach Hyman.
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