Marchand: Unfortunate that Leafs fans 'ran Marner out of town'

Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand feels the Toronto Maple Leafs' fan base is at fault for forward Mitch Marner's departure.

"It's unfortunate the fans ran Marner out of town," Marchand told reporters Tuesday, per TSN. "I mean, that's a huge impact for their group. He's a point-per-game player. That hurts."

Marner joined the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade on an eight-year, $96-million contract just before free agency. The Maple Leafs drafted him in 2015, and he spent the first nine seasons of his NHL career in Toronto. Marner's 781 points with the Maple Leafs rank sixth in franchise history.

The Markham, Ontario, native was the target of some vitriol, mostly due to Toronto's lack of playoff success. The Maple Leafs only won two rounds during Marner's tenure.

Marner said he required full-time security at his house for two weeks after his address was posted online in the wake of Toronto's second-round elimination by Marchand and the Panthers in May.

Marchand said Tuesday that his free agency in the summer was "between Florida and Toronto," and he didn't expect the Panthers would be an option due to their cap situation.

The 37-year-old gave the Maple Leafs credit for their play, despite Toronto ranking 13th in the Eastern Conference.

"As a group, the way that they're competing now, they compete the right way," Marchand said. "Which is what they kinda had to get over, that hurdle."