Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner is much more than a scoring machine

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis
Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner is much more than a scoring machine
Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

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Mitch Marner’s recent headbutt pass didn’t result in any actual points, but he definitely cashed in on the style points.

If you haven’t seen it yet, Marner bounced a puck off his head on an attempted clearing attempt against Nashville on Sunday and helped create a legitimate scoring chance. It was… unique, to say the least.

“I guess what went through my mind is he’s never going to stop talking about it if we score,” defenseman Morgan Rielly said on Wednesday, with a grin. “So, thankfully we didn’t.”

Marner is a smart, creative player. We’ve seen the highlight-reel plays this year. We know he’s tremendously skilled. It’s his mix of skill and smarts that makes him so dangerous, and we’re seeing the 25-year-old playing the best hockey of his career.

“This kid can do it all,” said left winger and linemate Calle Jarnkrok.

And do it all, Marner can. Especially on the scoresheet. Ask anyone, and they’ll say Marner has been the best Leaf this season, and he’s on pace to surpass the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. He broke a franchise record with a 23-game point streak earlier this year, the longest anyone has had in the NHL in seven years. He’s easily one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL, and he’s eating minutes like Timbits.

Auston Matthews is still “the man” in Toronto – all things equal, Matthews is arguably a top-three player in the world. But Marner has done a lot to close the gap, and as the Leafs look towards the playoffs – and, perhaps, advancing to the second round for the first time since Marner, 25, was seven – No. 16 is going to need to step up and lead the charge.

We could sit here and talk about his offensive dominance all day long. His decision-making is the thing that stands out the most, especially with how creative he can be to create a play. That’s why he’s on pace for 75 assists this year, something only a handful of forwards – Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Leon Draisaitl – are going to manage to do this year. But he also leads all Leafs with 2.88 points per game and 2.07 assists per 60 at 5-on-5, with his assist rate being the best of any NHLer with at least 1,000 minutes of even-strength playing time.

But, again, he does so much more than just put points on the board. Marner leads the NHL with 98 takeaways, and might even be the only player to eclipse the 100 mark. He also averages 2:20 a night on the penalty kill, and 21:19 over a night – so it’s not like he’s doing everything with favorable moments. He’s playing a ton every single night, even reaching 25-plus minutes on seven occasions this season.

“As he’s gotten older here he’s valued that even more,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He wants to be put in those situations: penalty killer, the tough matchups and game on the line. He wants to be counted on in those situations.

On the latest Puck Poolies Podcast, Rachel Doerrie, who has experience working with analytics with various NHL teams, said he deserves more love for the Selke Trophy for just how stout his defensive play is. When you think of Selke favorites, it’s almost always dominated by centers. Patrice Bergeron, for example, must have a wing in his house dedicated to the award. Given Marner has been so good offensively and still manages to steal the puck as much as he does – and then go the other way to create a scoring chance – Marner deserves some love.

Rielly even considers Marner to be the best defensive forward in the game.

“I’ve had that opinion for a while now. That area of his game can go unnoticed at times,” Rielly said.

Earlier this year, Keefe even considered trying Mitch Marner on defense. And, if you really think about it, it could have been genius. He’s mobile, has good positioning on the point on the power play, and his defensive metrics have been solid throughout his career. That wasn’t just a rumor – it’s something Keefe actually discussed. With the Leafs lacking a true high-output offensive defenseman, it almost makes sense to try him out there on the point at times.

“Everyone knows you can rely on him because he’s so smart out there,” defenseman Justin Holl said.

Given he’s top 10 in the league in both goals (20.5) and wins (3.5) above replacement, there’s no doubting that. Toronto’s current top line – Marner, Matthews and Calle Jarnkrok – have a 58.5 percent expected goals-for percentage through 18 games, according to MoneyPuck. The Marner, John Tavares and Michael Bunting line had a 57.6 expected goals-for percentage in 47 games.

Basically, any line Marner has been on has been dominant with the puck. And when they aren’t, Marner’s involved heavily on the backcheck and getting stuff done at the other end.

All that matters in Toronto is ending that dreaded first-round curse. Marner has had his fair share of ups and downs in the post-season, with 16 points in 19 playoff games over the past three years. But he has just two goals, and while he’s always been a better set-up man, he has had too many off nights. That’s going to have to change this spring.

The Leafs have fully embraced everything Marner brings to the table. Few players pack the two-way punch that he does every single night. And while fans will be quick to criticize him if he and the team fail to make it out of the first round once again, you can’t help but fall in love with his game, no matter who you cheer for.

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