#5. Mitch Marner
You can’t deny how talented Marner is. In his first 300 NHL games played, he has 291 points. Being a point-per-game player is incredibly difficult, but Marner is a point-machine.
The Markham, ON native got a lot of flack during the Qualifying Series, because he didn’t score a goal, though the team got goalied, what can you do? He’s only 23-years-old and has already recognized that he needs to make scoring goals more of a priority. Within this All-Canadian Division, I think there’s a chance that Marner hits 75 points in a 56-game sprint.
For whatever reason, Marner’s season last year doesn’t get talked about enough. Maybe it’s because the pandemic stopped it short, or that Auston Matthews and William Nylander were so dominant, but Marner had an outstanding campaign. In 59 games, he finished with 67 points. That’s a 94-point pace in an 82-game season, which would have matched his point total from the year before.
Marner is going to score 100-points in an NHL season and is going to compete for the Art Ross Trophy for years to come. Who knows if he’ll end up getting it this year, but I think he’s going to lead the Leafs in points and be a force in this Division.