Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner has been quietly building a strong case for a Hart Trophy nomination. Entering this season, all eyes were on Auston Matthews as he debuted as the Leafs 26th captain.
Unfortunately, Matthews’ slow start and subsequent stint on the injury list left a hole in the Toronto Maple Leafs leadership ranks. Now, to be fair, John Tavares continues doing what he’s done all these years. He’s been playing as if the C had never been taken off his jersey.
But someone needed to step up and take over the crucial leadership and production gap that Matthews left. That someone has been Mitch Marner. Don’t look now, but Marner, with all the hype surrounding his contract status, is now well on his way to a Hart Trophy nomination.
Marner is currently tied for 11th in league scoring with 28 points. Incredibly enough, he’s tied with Connor McDavid and two points back of Leon Draisaitl and Cale Makar.
Mitch Marner building a strong case for Hart Trophy consideration
No, that’s not a fluke. It just shows that Marner is right up there with the best in the league. Marner has emerged from Auston Matthews’ shadow to be the true leader of the Toronto Maple Leafs. That in and of itself, is worthy of Hart Trophy consideration.
At this point, Marner has stiff competition from the Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon is the reigning Hart Trophy winner and could well be on his way to a second-straight win.
But that doesn’t mean Marner can’t overtake him at some point this season. Marner has the numbers and has passed the eye test by being the undisputed top player on the Leafs this season.
The Hart Trophy, by definition, goes to the player who’s the most valuable to his team. However, there has been a misconception that the league’s top performer becomes league MVP. Last year alone, we saw how that’s not necessarily the case.
Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning captured the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top scorer. But it was MacKinnon who won the Hart. It’s also worth pointing out that Kucherov got a Hart nomination as did McDavid, but they weren’t as valuable to their teams as MacKinnon was.
That is the case with Marner this season. Marner’s scoring is on a 100-point pace, while he’s also leading his team in his captain’s absence, just like MacKinnon did.
Incidentally, Marner and MacKinnon are offseason training buddies. Marner has also trained with another former Hart Trophy winner, Sidney Crosby. That type of company has led to Marner rubbing elbows with the league’s best players.
So, it’s no mystery why Marner has become as good as he has. Marner is now the de facto captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the team’s most valuable player. Marner is fast becoming the Leafs’ heart and soul.
Don’t look now, but Mitch Marner is well on his way to a Hart Trophy nomination. If things continue on this path, Marner could follow in Matthews’ footsteps and capture the club’s second Hart in four seasons.