Editor In Leaf
Fansided

5 New Year’s Resolutions Bound to Benefit Maple Leafs Through 2021

By Shaun Filippelli

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his third period goal at 16:54 against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his third period goal at 16:54 against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 02: Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs  . (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Resolution #3: Marner Shoots More

Despite the fact that Mitch Marner’s nearly $11 million AAV will continue to divide this fanbase, there is no disputing that he’s among the most valuable to this organization. In his last two seasons, Marner has produced at a pace of 1.14 points per game and shown no signs of slowing down.

When you’re on a team with the type of talent that surrounds Marner, it’s easy to get lost in the mix. Yet, throughout his first four years in the league, his lowest ranking on Toronto’s point totals list was fifth, with the 61 he earned in his rookie campaign of 2016-17.

He then went on to lead his team in points the next two seasons, accumulating more than teammates such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak, James van Riemsdyk, and John Tavares. A pretty impressive set of stars to sit atop.

Through 2019-20, Marner’s 67 points saw him miss the top spot, bumped by the 80-point season earned by Matthews. However, where he also regressed was with his shooting, accumulating his lowest totals in both shot attempts (277) and shots on goal (154).

https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1205329780595445760?s=20

Although 59 games are the fewest he’s played through any season, that doesn’t justify that his per game pace in each area declined. For the first time, mind you, after increases through each of the previous three seasons. If he wants to elevate his impact, getting more pucks on net is a good place to start.

Resolution: The fact that Marner is known as a playmaker doesn’t mean he can’t evolve into an effective goal scorer, too. However, to even begin building that type of reputation, he’s going to need to commit to taking the shot more often than not. He has to strive for a goal-scoring ceiling beyond his career-high of 26.

Home/Editorials