His now former teammates have had more than enough time to absorb what it will mean to be the Maple Leafs without Mitch Marner.

But as the team gathered on the eve of full on-ice training sessions for the team’s 108th season, it really did sound as if Auston Matthews , Morgan Rielly and John Tavares had long ago moved on from their once-beloved teammate.

“He’ll be a friend of all of ours for life,” said Matthews. “They’re always tough conversations to have at the end of the day. He made his decision and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward. And we’re moving on.”

“ Guys leave all the time,” said Rielly. “Mitch was a polarizing guy because of how talented he was. But for us it’s onward.”

Matthews wears the C, Tavares and Rielly wear As, and the team decided the only thr

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