For the past few seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs have reaped the benefits of having the dynamic duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner together on the same line. With Matthews being one of, if not, the best goal scorer in the league and Marner one of the best passers in the league, it seemed like a match made in heaven.
For such an elite Toronto Maple Leafs duo, it certainly reminds us of the renowned combos of Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, Brett Hull and Adam Oates, and even in more recent years, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. With the great chemistry together, it is often hard to break up such a connection and somehow still make the team better.
However, analytically, it doesn't make a lot of sense to play two franchise players on the same line because there is a limit to how good they can make each other, while deployed seperately they are able to improve four other forwards on the roster.
For the Maple Leafs, they have had their dynamic duo on different lines before, but right now might be the perfect time to keep Matthews and Marner separated once again going forward.
The Toronto Maple Leafs should keep Auston Matthews away from Mitch Marner from now on
Ever since Matthews had been sidelined with an injury in the first week in November, Marner had been forced to help carry the team in his absence. Boy has Marner done a tremendous job in accomplishing that.
In the eight games with the Leafs captain on the injured reserve, Marner has put up 8 goals, 6 assists for 14 points, along with 19 shots and a 31.6% shooting percentage while averaging close to 22 minutes a night. Among those numbers included 8 power play points and one shorthanded goal, showing that he was getting it done on special teams as well. (Stats prior to the Florida game, where Marner scored a goal).
Most importantly, Marner has looked dangerous every time he stepped onto the ice. By bearing a newfound lethal shot, it has now made him a legitimate scoring threat, on top of being the elite passer that he normally is. In fact, he has raised his game so much that he has been performing like the Leafs MVP on a nightly basis in recent weeks. Just to put things into a bigger perspective, the Maple Leafs all-time record without Matthews is 43-20-2. Whereas the Leafs all-time record without Marner in the lineup is a feeble 21-17-2. Enough said.
We all know that Matthews can play like an MVP already, as exemplified by his Hart Trophy win in 2022. If Marner can also play like an MVP without the presence of Matthews as well, why not keep them on separated so that opposing teams will have to face two MVP-calibre players on different lines? That would definitely become a nightmare for the opposition to defend against, much like how McDavid and Draisaitl has asserted themselves to do in recent years as well. (All stats from NHL.com and hockey-reference.com)
As a result, no matter when Matthews makes his eventual return to the Leafs lineup, it should be to the team’s best interest to keep him away from Marner to actually maximize Toronto’s success going forward.