OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Mitch Marner might play on the same line as Auston Matthews, but it’s time for the hobby to recognize that he’s nobody’s sidekick.
BOOK IT: MITCH MARNER IS GOING TO HAVE A MONSTER SEASON. e Toronto Maple Leafs winger already is recognized as one of the game’s elite performers. He’s coming off a career-best 2021-22 season in which he posted 35 goals and 97 points in 72 games but all the signs suggest that was just a precursor of greater things to come.
ough regarded as a smallish player, Marner has gained weight and strength as he’s physically matured and, at 25, he’s just entering that sweet spot where offensive stars historically reach their prime. He’s played more than 400 games and has averaged better than a point per over his career. He has the experience, the support, and the desire to reach new offensive heights.
He’s also on a team that has “win now” written all over it, one that’s counting on him to be a key driver of a deep playoff run.
“I think 40 goals and 100 points is a safe bet. at’s the floor,” an Eastern Conference scout told Beckett Hockey. “ose would be huge numbers, but I could see him taking another step beyond that.”
Maybe … 50 goals?
“He’s got the shot,” the scout said. “A lot of things would have to go right for him to get to 50, but yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised either.”
Marner has averaged 53 assists over his first six seasons in the league, but his goal scoring seemed more like a complementary ability as he defaulted to using his slippery puck skills to create chances for his teammates. But he could always wire the biscuit, a prowess that only fully revealed itself last season when he finished with a career-best 15.6 shooting percentage.
Interestingly, he was more prolific on the road, where generating opportunities traditionally requires a sturdier constitution and greater will. Marner tallied 23 goals on 128 shots on the road last season (17.9 percent) compared to 12 goals on 96 shots (12.5 percent) at Scotiabank Arena – a track record that may have helped expand his appeal beyond his home market.
To be sure, the Markham, Ontario native has cultivated a significant hobby base. He plays in the center of the hockey hobby universe and is seen on national TV in Canada almost every weekend.
But it feels like there’s one element that’s held him back from achieving his cardboard potential: Linemate Auston Matthews.
Since the two of them joined the league in 2016, Marner has been the Robin to Matthews’ Batman, the Sundance Kid to his Butch Cassidy, the fourth-overall pick (2015) to his first-overall pick (2016).
He’s not the first world-class player to suffer by comparison. e looming shadow of a transcendent teammate is a problem many of the game’s all-time greats can relate to. Phil Esposito was eclipsed by Bobby Orr. Jari Kurri and Mark Messier had Wayne Gretzky. Jaromir Jagr had Mario Lemieux. Sergei Fedorov had Steve Yzerman.
Even Leon Draisaitl, a man with Hart, Art Ross, and Pearson Trophies on his mantle, gets overshadowed when a player like Connor McDavid shares the same dressing room.
Marner’s been honored as the league’s first-team all-star right-winger the last two seasons, but he happens to play alongside a guy who has a Calder, a Ted Lindsay, two Rocket Richard trophies, and is the reigning MVP. And that’s probably hampered his emergence as one of the hobby’s elite stars.
But that doesn’t mean he has to remain in the background. Consider Colorado, where Cale Makar has elevated his presence to match, or even exceed that of alpha dog Nate MacKinnon. If one epic season can change the pecking order there, it can happen anywhere. It’s something one of his most ardent fans sees as a possibility. Ryan Hana, who has collected Marner since his junior days with the London Knights, says the player’s personality is a big part of that potential.
“I love Matthews as much as any Leafs fan,” he said. “And I know that goal scorers are always going to get the most attention, especially when they put up the numbers he’s putting up. Mitchy has the potential to put up some numbers too, though. And he feels like a bigger presence off the ice, too. at’s something I’ve always admired about him. He always seems like he’s having the most fun. at’s why I connected with him in the first place.”
As with most modern players, choosing how to collect Marner comes down to pricing and scarcity. Let’s take a look behind the dynamics of four of his 2016-17 RCs, including two of his most popular, and two intriguing dark horses that deserve closer consideration.