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Toronto Maple Leafs: Mitch Marner Needs More Love

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 22: Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the San Jose Sharks during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 22, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Sharks defeated the Maple Leafs 5-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 22: Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the San Jose Sharks during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 22, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Sharks defeated the Maple Leafs 5-3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Mitch Marner played his 400th career game with the Toronto Maple Leafs last night and needs more love.

When you look back at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Toronto Maple Leafs fans everywhere were hoping for the first-overall pick. The team was coming off one of it’s worst second-half’s in team history and were hoping that the ping-pong balls would fall in their lap.

Connor McDavid was primed as the next Sidney Crosby or Wayne Gretzky from an early age, and Leafs fans everywhere were hoping the Leafs could pick him. As a local kid, from Newmarket, ON, it was also rumored that McDavid wanted to play in Toronto, more than any other team.

As we all know, the Edmonton Oilers won the first-overall selection and the rest is history.

McDavid’s talent has been wasted with the Oilers and the team has seen very little playoff success despite having the best player in the world.

Despite not drafting McDavid, the Leafs won their own lottery by selecting Mitch Marner fourth overall.

Toronto Maple Leafs Mitch Marner an  Unbelievable Talent

Like many fans, I’ve been hard on Mitch Marner.

Currently in his sixth career season, Marner is above a point-per-game. He was a First-Team NHL All-Star last year and is well on his way to doing the same this campaign.

Although Marner is arguably a top-10 player in the NHL, he hasn’t got it done in the playoffs, yet. But then again, this is only his sixth season. We’re not talking about a player who’s been around for 15 years and hasn’t done anything.

Marner is only 24-years-old and hasn’t even reached his prime. He’s continuing to get better day after day and in terms of “duo’s” in the NHL, M&M (Marner and Matthews) is one of the best duos right now.

As I previously mentioned, I’ve always been hard on Marner and I’ve been one to throw out hypothetical trades involving him all the time. When you make close to $11M per season, he’s an easy target to shop, as you always think about what else you could do with that cap-space.

It’s crazy that instead of accepting and loving one of the top-five best Leafs players in team history that we look at his contract instead of his skillset. Would Toronto’s line-up be more balanced if they received two high-end wingers making $5.5M each, instead of having one Marner?

Maybe, but probably not.

That’s essentially saying, would you rather have two Zach Hyman’s or one Mitch Marner? As shown by Michael Bunting this year, Hyman is very replaceable at a cheap price, while almost nobody in the NHL can do what Marner does on a nightly basis.

Marner is at the peak of his powers right now and it’s very special to watch him at his best.

Next. Max Domi Trade Rumors are Heating Up. dark

But trust me, Leafs fans, this is just the beginning as he has a lot to prove, especially when the playoffs start.

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