The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: Nick Alberga on Mitch Marner's Departure

Episode Date: September 5, 2025

Nick Alberga from Leafs Morning Take joins the show to react to Mitch Marner’s sit-down with TSN’s Mark Masters, the fan reaction to his comments, and what it all means moving forward.Shout out to our sponsors!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼 Simply Spiked: https://www.simplyspiked.ca/en-CAReach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Flames_Nation🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On that, we'll bring on our guest. He is the host of Leif's Morning Take Freshly Back from Vacation. Remember what day one is like when you're young and coming back from vacation? You don't really feel like working, but damn it, Nick Alberg is here. The host of Least's Morning Take alongside Jay Rose, the one and only Nick Alberg. How was vacation Nick? It was fantastic. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to talk about Mitch Marner either, guys.

I was going to say, still. He's back for one reason. Yeah, no, exactly. We would not pass with it off the opportunity. Yeah, Marrake is talking about this being some gigantic sacrifice. Like, you'd talk on the plane back from vacation about Mitch Marner if the technology existed. Wish, I was on the beach in Barcelona talking about Mitch Marner. I'm like, can you believe this guy?

Just can't move on and go to Vegas. Here we are in early September. And he's thinking about his ex-girlfriend. You heard the comments. You've seen the interview with Mark Masters, citing security. as an issue, citing personal and family safety as an issue. Listen, this story is nowhere close to being done. I don't think that Marner's camp even thinks that this thing is done.

You know, not everyone in hockey media is back from their own vacations yet, and we haven't seen them on the skates and with the Vegas Gold of the Knights yet. So this story is far from over, but initial thoughts on this chapter of the Mitch Marner story. Look, I hate to be insensitive, but he's being a whiny bitch, and this has been the case for 10 years now. I will say, like, from my understanding a lot, like, I get it. I understand why this is coming out. I think family is a big part of this, and when there's some serious stuff against you and people threatening serious stuff, like there's going to be a response. And that's why this guy's had a security team for the last 10 years.

But for some reason, like, I don't know who's coached him and media-wise. Like, it just has not been good. It has not been positive. And this continues now as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. Like, I just think it's really, really interesting that he hasn't really said a word in Toronto until, like, a week's span where his agent goes on another podcast. And now he talks to Mark Masters of TSN and all of a sudden we finally get sort of the direction from Marner. I think all parties involved just want to move on. like i think toronto wants to move on i think Vegas wants to move on but i'm not really shocked

we've been hearing about this for the last six to eight months pretty interesting stuff though i uh i i'm not always the biggest steve simmons fan but i'm happy he exists feel the same way about larry brooks and um he had a column about this interview with tsn where at you know he begins with whining about the story being placed with tsn as every toronto newspaper man has to do. But then he gets to the heart of it, which is that Marner and his agent have seized on something that has a slight kernel of truth. As you mentioned, he did have to have a security detail and then have made that the narrative as far as him departing. Do you kind of see that that this is like a conspiratorial thing between Marner and his agent to try to sell this line,

get ahead of the tension of his return to Toronto and just try to, like, create their own story? 1,000% wish. I think a couple things come to mind in this whole scenario. The comments last summer from Mitch Marner, we're gods here. Are you a God or you hated? Like, we got to pick a side here.

Number two, if you want to play the victim card, you can't have your security guard every other day, go at Zach Phillips on Instagram. Like, it just doesn't work that way. And his security team in detail are having a meltdown on a daily basis. You've got to pick a side. I think it's exactly what you're saying.

They're trying to get that narrative out there before the Maples can get their narrative out there. And I agree with you. Like I think it was a really good piece by Simmons. I think you got to hear the other side of the story. I think when everything came out, it was very, very calculated. If you guys recall in the month and a half prior to July 1,

it was being spread, the whole Carolina thing, the Vegas thing. Like, I think it was very, very calculated. And I always say there's two sides to a story. It's probably somewhere in between, Jeff. The one thing that I wondered about, like, I don't, I don't doubt for one second that Mitch Marner and quite possibly, as he mentioned, his family were threatened. Like, that's the reality of living a public life. Like, I get it, which gets it, Nick, you get, like, everybody gets it.

It's only in varying degrees. Now, he was a victim of a very serious carjacking incident as well. And having never had that experience, I can only imagine how shaken you would be. when that happens to you. The thing that I wonder about, and I'm not going to play like, oh, this is what masters should have asked. But one of the follow-ups now becomes,

if it's been like this for so long, why didn't you ask for a trade? If it was this harmful to you and your family. Because I'm trying to, I always try to, Nick, Greg, I always try to put myself in anyone's position that I'm going to sort of, have a thought about. And I was saying, okay, if that were me and I was really concerned about my family's safety

and security, my first conversation is with, A, my family, B, my agent, and then C, my general manager and say, like, look, it is, I feel unsafe, my family feels unsafe. No amount of security around us kept me from being carjacked. It doesn't feel like a safe environment for me and my family. I will work with you on this. I know I have a no trade clause, but I would like to go elsewhere. That's how I... Nice quiet place like Raleigh.

A nice quiet place like Raleigh or, you know, I think a nice quite place like Columbus once in a time had a lot of interest in Mitch Martin. Again, but that might just be me. Like that would have been one of the follow-ups. And again, not casting aspersions on Masters here. That would have been one of the follow-ups that I'd be interested in hearings. Like, okay, so this happened. When did you ask for a trade? No, that's fair.

And I think to that point, like, it was funny. We had a family dinner on Sunday. And, like, people who don't watch hockey on a daily basis or watch the maples in a daily basis to start, are trying to figure out, figure out why there's so much venom for Mitch Marner in this market. And I think it's so easy to display and put it out there as to why that is the case, why it's not the same for William Nylander, John Tavares, Austin Matthews, but different for, for Mitch Marner. And I, I think everything you just mentioned, it even stems back to the contract negotiations, took every penny. Him and his agent threatened to go play in a different

country in a different league, threatened to go sign an offer sheet with the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was thing after thing. And I just think the PR battle has been very, very interesting, I would say, from the Marner perspective over the years. And I think you're so right.

Like the last couple of years, he pretty much controlled everything with the no movement clause. If you hated it so much, Mitch, why did you stay in Toronto? I mean, there was various opportunities. If I can jump in,

it doesn't always work. Like the local boy goes home story doesn't always like. Go ask Sheldon Surrey what it was like going to Edmondson. Oh, Surrey's going back to Edmund. This is going to be great. Oh, my God. Was it not, it wasn't even close to being great. Sometimes it works out.

Sometimes it doesn't. I think one of the issues, honestly, with Marner, unlike Nealander, unlike Matthews, even though, you know, John Tabaras, you know, War of the Sea, and you've never heard him complain a second about any of the criticism that, he's received, and it is substantial. I think one of the issues is, Mitch is, A, public, and B, he lives in Toronto.

Like, he's all, there's no, there's no escape hatch for players when you go home, and the family is there. And the family, his father at times has been, he's very well known around, around the city, certainly was in a lot of GTHL arenas.

I just think that unless you have, if things aren't going well, If you don't have an escape hatch to go somewhere else in the off season, it can be awful. And that's why I've always maintained. And this is where, and I've always raised the example of Dionne Funf. And Dionne Fonuf has the detractors. But you know what? Dionne Fonuf went out there and took every question and heard every bit of criticism and never changed.

Never complained. None of it. If you don't think the Dion Fonuf heard it, guess again. He heard it tons and tons. Greg. But there's a huge difference in comportment between the two. Like Dionne Funnuff is a stoic shit kicker. Mitch Marner's, to this day, looks like a child.

And, and I, and, you know, right? I mean, like, if Mitch Marner had a, it looked like Radco Gutis, I guarantee you that most of the criticism that he catches wouldn't have happened. Am I wrong on that? Like, I feel like it's always been part of the equation with Mitch is that he looks like he's 17. And then on top of that, I think the other part of this, too, and, and you can't really separate this from the martyrs reception in Toronto. When you become the lightning rod of playoff failure, when you become the symbolic representation of playoff failure, you're screwed

in the market. I mean, there's been a bit of revision about Nazim Kadri in the sense of like, can we bring him back? Can we fix the ills of the past? Because it was clearly a mistake letting him go. But he became the symbol of playoff failure because of the suspensions in those series against the Bruins and then he had to go and i think Mitch became the symbol of playoff failure one because people would throw those highlights on social media of pretty terrible plays that he made in the postseason but also like his numbers didn't bear out that he was playing as well in the playoffs as he was in the regular season and so when you become that level of pariah for the the franchise's playoff failure it's going to be almost

impossible for you to not catch heat one quick thought quick thought on that and i'm going to throw it back to you here the interesting thing about about that is Maple Leafs fans, and you're right about Cadre, obviously. Traditionally, Maple Leafs fans have always chosen a defenseman. It's always been McCabe and Murphy and Cross and Berg and Gardner, et cetera. It's always

been, for whatever reason, some markets just have a positional bias and they'll pick someone from that position and heap all their venom at it. For Maple Leafs fans, it's usually always been, I tell you, he was one of them. It's always been a demon. Anyway, Nick, do you have a thought on that one? I would just say

it's easy to flip the script. Like, if you You guys recall earlier on in his career, Willie Nealander was that guy. And man, if I had to pick one player to play in the playoffs for the Maple Leafs right now, it's Willie Nealander. So I think, you know, there's a lot of things and conversations you can have, but I think Neelander is a prime example of a guy who was the whipping boy and found a way to make a difference and do something and make a play in the Stanley Cup playoffs. I think ultimately it comes down to that, but for me it's more off the ice and like just

the lack of judgment every time he has a conversation. Like, even in that piece with Masters, how many times did he stutter and say, ah, and, like, he just not very confident in speaking. There are some guys, like John Tavares, you guys have covered him for X amount of years. Perfect example. He doesn't give you anything,

but he also doesn't tell you it bothers him. Like, he's a prime illustration of a guy who took so much heat leaving to go to the market in Toronto and has taken the heat here too and has been fine. So I think there's other ways where, Yeah. Yeah. You know what the weird thing about,

it's what I got your optic, but you know what the weird thing about all of that is? Marner won, right? Like, Marner got to play for the team he grew up cheering for. Marner got tens of millions of dollars to do so. Like, whenever I would catch myself and think about Martin, I always think he won. He had everything that he wanted.

He got tens of millions of dollars. to play for the trauma Maple Leafs, a team he grew up cheering for, GTH, GTHL kid. You won! I've never seen, I don't know that I've seen someone that upset about losing. Because there's like the game of hockey

and then there's the game of hockey. The game of hockey is making as much money as you can and maybe you play on the team you grew up cheering for it so you can say like, hey, grandkids, I played on the Toronto Maple. He won. He won the game. The big game. Not that I tell you

The big game of hockey I was going to say Nick you mentioned You mentioned one of Marner's original sins though Was that contract negotiation and I think You know part of the Willie story is that he didn't say give me a dollar more than Matthews on the cap Like he he earned what he got There obviously was a little bit of people being like oh it's too much But I mean where the cap was going and where he signed in in January 2024

I think there wasn't a whole hell of a lot of, you know, burning him an effigy from the Leafs fandom. And, and his negotiation was in stark contrast with that of Marner, wouldn't you say? Definitely, definitely. And I would just add, too, like I found a pathway where Marner could be beloved in this market. What happens, July 1, 2026? There's a guy in Edmonton who's still a free agent, and Marner leaves and his money's free. I'm not letting this go, guys.

I am not letting this go because this is the same pathway John Tavares took, okay? John Tavares is resigning with the New York honors. He love Long Island. And it's like, oh, shit, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team I love growing up is available. They got money for the first time in a decade. Let's think about it. And now suddenly it went from,

he's signing August 12th. And now he's signing September 3rd. And we sit here on September 2nd and nothing to be found. And now he potentially could go into the season as a pending UFA. This is a storyline for me. Nobody wants to talk about it. I will, guys. You're hanging on.

According to America, like once he goes home, he becomes a 70-point third-line center. So, I mean, you know, that's, that's not what you want. And he's going to be pouty about everything. You see him at local, local Tim Hortons in Newmarket, just complaining about everything and what his life has become. Okay, anything else on Martin. I want to get a couple other things here quickly with. Nick, anything else wish with you and Marner? To transition to another topic,

because I think this is probably you're going to go. Like, this kind of feels one of two ways for the Leafs this season, which is that have you extracted the toxin to allow this team to now thrive? Or are they keeping their powder dry for a season knowing what could be on the way to summers from now. Like, preliminary take on the Leafs a few weeks before training camp, Nick? I get what you're saying, like, addition by subtraction.

I've talked to a lot of people that suggest the Leafs are going to be substantially worse. I've talked to some people that suggest the Leafs are better off without Mitch Marner. It's probably, again, somewhere in between. I actually like what they've done this summer. I think it's important to emphasize what they did last summer, which not enough people are talking about.

They solidified the crease, like Stolar's outstanding with Joseph Wall. The blue line is like a billion times better than it was even two years ago. Like I think you look at that Maple East blue line and you could say like that team, that blue line can win in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And we've seen proof of that already. I think what they want to do now is solidify what they have up front. And there's some holes. I mean, don't get me wrong when you look at the right wing position on that top line, who's going to play with Nyes and Matthews?

Is it going to be Nielander? Is it going to be Macheli? Is it going to be somebody, like I think they took a bit of a risk on a couple guys here in the off season, whether it's Nikola Waal. Like I like the player. I don't know where he fits in this lineup, probably as a 3C. The Machelli pickup I like quite a bit. But I think it's going to be sort of something we watch and it develops throughout the year. Like I think the Maple East will gun for a top six player on the market, whether it's a center, whether it's out in Calgary.

I think they're going to look to solidify that top six. but I think they're in a really good position. I wouldn't be shocked if maybe they take one step back, but they still make the Stanley Cup playoffs. I will say, I think you look at this team in the last, you know, since I guess Craig Ruby took over, I think they're a better position now to be successful in the Stanley Cup playoffs than they ever have been.

Like I like what they've put together here. So the way that, and I've kind of made this point, too, about the Buffalo Sabres with the J.J. Paterka deal. No, I'm not comparing Mitch Marta to J.J. Paturka. Other than this one very specific, way um i don't know that the buffalo sabers are a better team without j j peterka but they're a more complete team i don't know what the maple leaves are a better team without mitch marner but they're a more complete team than they have been and i think that nick waw playing with dakota joshua and maybe

bobby mcman is a miserable third line that craig baroubi loves are you going to miss the production obviously but I think the Maple Leafs are one of those teams where you just want to get past the 82 games because all the answers are in the playoffs. Again, not as good a team, but a more complete team. Would you agree with that? Nick, don't be the tease. What's the Calgary thing?

Cadry. Oh, Nazim Cadry. Come on. I think Calgary is such an interesting team because I don't know what they're going to be. Like, they exceeded expectations last year, but what if they have a bad start? I mean, is Anderson on the table?

Is Cadry on the table? Ask the captain there. Ask the captain there. Exactly. So, like, there's going to be a lot of teams that come to lens that we don't expect. And I think the Leafs will be all around that conversation. It's natural with Cadry. But I think there's going to be some other names, like even the Anaheim ducks, guys like Terry.

I think every team's going for the same guy. But I think from the Maple East perspective, what we're hammering at is like, yeah, they're going to really miss Marner in the regular season. But I truly believe, like, they're going to be harder to play against in the playoffs. I don't know if they're going to win a Stanley Cup, but I think they're better suited to play teams like the Florida Panthers now. Okay. Last question. If they flame out again in the playoffs, who do they blame?

You know, I threw this out Rosie before I left on vacation, and I love Burubi and I love tree living, but heads are going to roll. Like, how long into the Matthews era and you don't do anything of substance in the Stanley Cup playoffs? Like, I think at the bare minimum, it has to be the third round for this team. And I don't want to use the excuse of Marner left. Like, it's not a good excuse. You have a really good team with or without Mitch Marner. So I don't want to say Burubis on the hot seat, but I think both guys at the top are on the hot seat.

And they need to, there needs to be results here, guys. Like, if they don't, if it's the same team this time next year, I think we're talking about serious consideration for, like, big substantial trades if you catch my drift. let me let me but hold on let's caveat that you're saying like third round or bust the florida panther still exist and and it's it's a distinct possibility that we are in the midst of a dynasty so if they go out on their sword again against the florida panthers in the second round because of the playoff structure like that's not a reason to clean house is it yeah but i i get it but like you you were close like you you went to seven games at them like how many times you're going to use like how many times

you're going to use like why can't the least be that team where it's like gosh shit we're not beating them this year like they they have the players to be that team right i think florida's is a great example like they put things together at the perfect time everybody bit everybody in toronto bit and one specific moment when john taveris in sunrise first period game three scored that wraparound everybody went they're really going to do it yeah they're really going to beat the Florida Panthers. And then they really didn't beat the Florida Panthers. But there was that moment when DeVara scored that goal,

wherever I went, I think they might actually do this. I think this might actually happen. I agree to what they're capable of is what I'm getting at, right? And you've got to push through at some point in time. Like you can't just every year be like, okay, we'll get him next year. We'll get him next year. And that's been the major issue with this team is that they can't push through when it matters most.

Like, it's one thing to say, I want this money. They gave these guys the money. They paid them everything they ever desired. And now it's time to go out there and prove it. And if you can't, then I think there needs to be seismic change here. All right. Well, the good news is that with Marner in the Western Conference playing for Vegas and the Stanley Cup final on ESPN, I, of course, have received the memos.

The NHL is fixing it. So it'll be the Leafs and the Golden Knights in the final. I'm joking. I got to ask you, like, I'm so disappointed. Like, I'm not a big football guy. I watch basketball a bit. I think it was a squandered opportunity for the NHL. We, us in Toronto can't be the only ones who want to see this matchup,

Marner against the Maple. It's crazy that we got to wait until January 15th and the 23rd is the return date. Whereas, like, we had Bruce Cassidy on lease warning take and he was talking about one of the revised schedules and it happening in October. So I want to know what the hell happened. It's my question. I mean, it's usually like building availability, you know, all that jive. Where teams are traveling when? I don't know.

I'm taking up with Steve Hattropestos, man. That's the guy who makes the schedule. You know, you think someone's knocking on Steve's door and being like, don't give Toronto dissatisfaction. Marner's camp, a security detail. They called them firsthand. They're like, we don't want this game until it clears over. That's right. The NHL had to wait until a NATO peacekeeping force was available to guard.

Mard Marder at all times. Ridiculous, man. Ridiculous. I'm going to get a security team, too. If you're a Marner, though, you want it early in the season. You just want to get it over with. Yeah. Just get that first game over with.

You don't want to drag this out and have that date circled going into the new year. You just want this done, don't you? Yeah. And he doesn't have to face the media either, just the way he loves it, right? Both games and the second half of a back-to-back means an optional morning skates. So we'll see you at game time. We'll see you for the post-game festivities on the bird I know. The NHL protecting Vegas.

Oh, unbelievable. Oh, God. Again. If only they did schedule it with the media that much in mind. I can assure you they don't. Good stuff. Welcome, welcome home, Nick. Oh, by the way, how many times you put on the lampshade?

What do you mean? How many times were you over-served, sir, on your vacation? Oh, shit. I was there for 15 days. probably nine times, man. They all blend into each other over there. I know. You're back. Give that liver a rinse.

Mix in a salad. You can do this. Have a water. Okay. I'm good to see you again. Thanks, guys. Bye. Yeah.

Nicole Bergen. I hope so. I said 16 hours last night every day this week, every day this month. I can't get out my head. Lost all ambitious day to day. Because you can call it. right. I went to the dark man. You're trying to give me a little medicine. I'm like, no, and that's fine. I'm not against those men that's but new. It's me and myself and how this is going to be fixing my mind.

I do want a bagger. I turned on the music. I do want to back. I turned on the music. I turned on the music. I don't think you're sometimes losing I've been on the days that we're wrong