Mitch Marner is on track to become the fourth Toronto Maple Leafs player to eclipse the 100-point mark. But before we celebrate, it's important to point out that this is an arbitrary number only, and that for the last five seasons, Marner has scored at a 100-point pace in every season, with only injuries and play stoppages preventing him from actually hitting 100 points.
When you think about the Toronto Maple Leafs long history, over a century of being in the league, you would think that there would be an entire list of players with a 100-point season.
Yet, that isn't the case. Darryl Sittler had two 100-point seasons in 1975-76 (100) and 1977-78 (117). Then, the Killer, Doug Gilmour did in back-to-back years from 1992 to 1994, including the Toronto Maple Leafs single-season record with 127 points. Lastly, Auston Matthews has done it twice with 106 and 107-point seasons in 2021-22 and 2023-24, respectively.
As mentioned, Marner has been awfully close in the past. Since 2021, he's paced 100 points in all five seasons. He just hasn't been able to play enough games to actually hit the magical number.
So while actually hitting 100 is a bit of an arbitrary thing, it is a number people care about, and "being on pace for 100" just doesn't have the same ring, so hitting the century mark is something that would elevate Marner’s standing in team lore.
It’s not that he hasn’t carved out a place for himself. It’s about this next generation re-writing the history books. Matthews has already done it. Now, it’s Marner’s turn to etch his name in the annals of Toronto Maple Leafs history with a 100-point season of his own.
The Leafs have four games remaining in the regular season. They face the Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings. As such, there’s plenty of opportunity for Marner to top 100 points, but to also best Matthews’ 107-point campaign. It would be wonderful to see such a thing happen.
Mitch Marner should be a Hart Trophy finalist
As it stands, Mitch Marner is fifth in the NHL with 97 points. He’s behind Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, and David Pastrnak. While it’s unlikely that Marner catches them, he's just as valuable as they are if you include defense in the analysis. Marner plays much harder minutes, starts much less in the ozone than any of them, and plays a better all-around game.
But, regardless of whether Marner can catch any of the aforementioned players, he should be a Hart Trophy finalist. Marner may not have the gaudy point totals of Nathan MacKinnon, but Marner has started over 300 fewer times in the offensive zone, which more than accounts for the difference in their scoring.
Kucherov likely comes in second. As for Draisaitl, his late-season injuries will cost him votes. Betting-wise, he would be third. But being off the ice down the stretch will likely move Pastrnak and Marner to the forefront of voters’ minds.
It's silly, but Marner might get more votes if he actually hits 100 points. Voters aren't likely to recognize the defense and zone starts, but if they do, the big round three-digit number is what's really going to sway them.
A strong finish would certainly push Marner’s candidacy to the top of the pile. Imagine that, Marner gets his first 100-point season and a Hart Trophy nod in his contract year. Talk about a guy betting on himself.