Mitch Marner has given Toronto Maple Leafs fans a lot to be excited about.
The London Knights star, who the Leafs picked fourth overall in last year’s NHL Draft, has pulled off jaw-dropping play after jaw-dropping play on his way to third in points in the OHL so far this season, and many believe the 18-year-old looks destined to do more of the same in the Blue and White.
Andrew Walker is not so sure.
Walker, whose Andrew Walker Show debuts on Sportsnet 590 The Fan from 1-4 p.m. ET on Monday afternoon, believes the Leafs should’ve gone in a different direction last June.
“(Mike) Babcock is a heck of a coach, which is good. They’re actually going to get a top-three pick for once, which is also good,” said Walker when asked about the Leafs rebuild in a recent Q&A with Sportsnet. “But they really have less talent than I thought. Which means next year may drag on.
“Honestly, I think they picked the wrong guy in (Mitch) Marner too.”
Here’s the rest of our sit-down with Walker ahead of Monday’s kickoff show.
SN: The Canadiens are probably the biggest surprise of all the Canadian teams. What is going on there? Should they consider trading (P.K.) Subban? Firing the coach?
Well the coach is done, and (Brendan) Gallagher should be the captain of that team. Yes, they should trade Subban to the Leafs. For Brad Boyes.
SN: Should Connor McDavid be the Calder winner, despite missing so much time?
I love McDavid but Dylan Larkin will win the Calder because he’s plus a million and will score 30 goals. Shayne Gostisbehere rounds out the top three. Panarin doesn’t count — he’s older than me.
SN: Who would be your pick to the win the Stanley Cup at this point?
I put $100 down on Washington in the pre-season at 18-1 so I wouldn’t say any other team. 18-1!
SN: Do you think the Raptors were smart to stand pat at the trade deadline? If not, what should they have done?
Tough to really know what was out there. I don’t know if bringing in any average defender was going to help. The two first rounders carry very little sentimental value to me right now though, so I would have liked to see them on the move.
SN: What are your expectations for the Blue Jays this year? Did they do enough to bolster their roster?
I think way too many people lose sight of the fact that this team is incredibly good. This club is stacked and they’ll get in playoffs again. After that, who knows. They just need another guy to go behind the plate behind Martin. That could take a few months, though.
SN: Okay, so who should be the Jays’ lead-off hitter?
Ace. They’d still lead the AL in runs.
SN: Tell us more about the new show.
The show’s going to be fun, it’s going to be laid back. And it’s really going to cater to the Toronto sports fan. It’s a great city. People care about their players and their teams, as heartbreaking as they can be sometimes. I care too. I’m a big sports fan that goes to the games and watches the others.
The listeners are my buddies… And sometimes I’m going to give it to them… And sometimes they’re gonna give it right back to me, and we’ll have fun with it.
