Adam Oates goes off on Nylander, gives bizarre defense for Mitch Marner

It's been nearly two weeks now since the Boston Bruins eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Stanley Cup Playoffs and fans and media still can't get over superstar forward Mitch Marner's lack of effort in the post-season.

Marner managed just one goal in the Leafs' seven game series against the Bruins and was responsible for several goals against thanks to a poor defensive effort. The $10.9 million man absolutely disappeared in the post-season and Leafs fans are not happy about it. And can you blame them? Marner has consistently shown that he can't elevate his game in the post-season, then he'll stand in front of the media and list every excuse possible for his poor performance.

Something's got to give, right?

There's no way the Leafs can bring Marner back for the 2024-25 season, right? The Kyle Dubas experiment of paying top dollar for top performers and expecting the fill out the roster with cheap depth has failed miserably. The Leafs live and die with the play of Marner and other highly paid players like John Tavares, Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Again, something's got to give.

There are rumor reports that GM Brad Treliving will shake up his roster this offseason by trading a high priced forward for some defensive depth or some help in goal. But, former NHL superstar turned skills development coach Adam Oates isn't so sure Marner is the one who needs to be sent packing. In a bizarre interview on the Cam and Strick Podcast, Oates defended Marner's play and put the blame for the Leafs' collapse on the likes of Matthews and Nylander. Particularly, Oates broke down the entire scenario where Marner threw his glove on the bench to which Nylander replied, "This isn't junior fucking hockey."

Check it out:

Um... pardon me?

Nylander played head to head with the David Pastnak line... so I don't think he was facing worse competition than Marner. And then Marner's mad at Mathews for a turnover? How many times did Matthews and his teammates have to witness Marner turn the puck over because he's not up for a board battle? Give me a break...

And then the whole defense of Marner's weak back check on Pastrnak's OT series winner... like... Come. On. Bro.

I don't care who is technically responsible for what, when you see a scoring opportunity developing against your team in OT, you bust your ass to break up the play. You skate hard whether you've got 'your man' or not.

All in all, this is just a crazy defense of Marner from Oates. And to be perfectly honest, it's this type of false confidence that has plagued Marner's game for years now. It's time for Marner to have a long look in the mirror this offseason.