The Toronto Maple Leafs are sending players to every team in the upcoming Four Nations Faceoff.
Canada's roster is set to be packed with some of the most exciting names in hockey, including Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner.
Marner ranks among the most elite of this group having scored the second most points by a Canadian and second most assists. Marner currently sits in the top 10 for power play assists with the only Canadian ahead of him being yet again Nathan Mackinnon.
Marner’s offensive production has been as consistent as it gets this year as he has scored 2.961(assists per 60 minutes of ice time ) which is the highest of any Canadian and only less then Nikita Kucherov. Marner is one of NHLs most elite playmaker and on most teams would be an invaluable asset. On a team full of some of the best playmakers in hockey, where will Marner find himself in the lineup? (stats from naturalstattrick.com).
Mitch Marner Will be a Key Player for Canada’s Four Nations Team
The Leafs forward is a special teams weapon as he is used on Toronto’s 1st power play and 1st penalty kill and similar deployment should be expected for his Four Nations appearance.
Marner would fit nicely on an insane first unit featuring Mcdavid, Makar, Mackinnon, but may find himself on the second unit due to how much talent Canada has.
The Leafs have been on the penalty kill 120 times and have killed 80.5 % of them, which is the 10th best in the league. Marner is very likely to kill penalties on Team Canada, but it is unknown if he'll be used as prominantly as the Leafs use him since, players like Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel and Mark Stone who are all unit 1 PK players on their NHL teams.
I could see Marner or Reinhart round out the top penalty killing units for forwards as they have extensive experience and a talent for shorthanded play.
Where Will Marner Fit in on 5 on 5 Play?
Canadas four lines could look a number of ways depending on how they structure the team. Based on the players that Hockey Canada selected , the coaching staff could spread out the skill and the sandpaper throughout all four lines to create a balanced lineup of speed, skill and toughness.
In this scenario Marner would be a key facilitator and playmaker on whichever line he found himself on. For example a line where Marner played with Cirelli as the centremen and hagel to his left would provide this balance of physicality and offensive prowess.
Alternatively a more offensively charged first and second line and defensively minded third and fourth line would provide a more traditional structure of an NHL team. In this version of the lineup Marner could fit into the first line playing on the right side with Mcdavid in the middle and Konecny on the left (who sneakily has the fourth most points among Canadian skaters). No matter how Canada's coaching staff and management team decide to structure the lineup, Marner will be an integral part of the teams success.
Whether it comes to 5on5 or special teams the Toronto Maple Leafs winger has made himself an invaluable asset that should be utilized in all situations to get the most out of the agile player.
Marner is no stranger to playing in high pressure situations, so the stress of a massive international stage like the Four Nations tournament provides players is nothing new to Marner. Leafs fans can expect Marner to play a big role in Canada’s lineup and should be excited at the prospect of how playing with Canada's biggest stars may boost Marners confidence even higher for his return to Toronto.