Tribute Marner Appreciation Thread

[AvroArrow]

What we know now… on a redo, McDavid and Mitch go 1-2… we are so lucky.

I said in 2015 pre-draft, Mitch Marner is a 1st overall talent. In most years he's the kind of guy you take #1, 2015 was the obvious exception with McDavid.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Remember when everyone wanted to get rid of him? lol

 

[Yall are crazy]

I don’t think he was the centre that year. Dvorak was I believe.
Marner was the MVP though

I think he was. He played asked the London knightd to make him a center to appeal more in the draft and when he was actually drafted they put him back as a winger. Ik he was center on one of those London k ight years and could've sworn it was the last year. I'm too lazy to do the research again tho

 

[cyris]

I think he was. He played asked the London knightd to make him a center to appeal more in the draft and when he was actually drafted they put him back as a winger. Ik he was center on one of those London k ight years and could've sworn it was the last year. I'm too lazy to do the research again tho

Yeah I’m not saying he didn’t play centre in Jr. but the year they won the Mem cup and he was the MVP was his D+1 year when I’m pretty sure Dvorak was the centre with Marner and Tkathuck on the wings.

Remember when everyone wanted to get rid of him? lol

It was never everyone. Many of us have been in his camp the whole time, it’s just not worth the argument around here when the team struggles.

 

[Notsince67]

Remember when everyone wanted to get rid of him? lol

Not everyone. A few vocal supporters and a bunch of people who stayed silent in the face of a mob.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Yeah I’m not saying he didn’t play centre in Jr. but the year they won the Mem cup and he was the MVP was his D+1 year when I’m pretty sure Dvorak was the centre with Marner and Tkathuck on the wings.

It was never everyone. Many of us have been in his camp the whole time, it’s just not worth the argument around here when the team struggles.

I'm pretty sure it was never anyone. Some people thought we should consider trading him at some point (depending on the return of course), that's oh so much different from saying let's get rid of him. That kind of hate has been reserved for guys like Holl, Kerfoot, Engvall etc.

Any player can be traded, saying we should explore the idea of trading him and wondering about what the return could be isn't really a big deal.

 

[MJ65]

What we know now… on a redo, McDavid and Mitch go 1-2… we are so lucky.

I still remember that there was a big debate on Strome, Hanifin, and Marner - thank God Marner was our pick at # 4

Marner has proven that he was the 2nd best player in that draft

 

[ZEBROA]

I still remember that there was a big debate on Strome, Hanifin, and Marner - thank God Marner was our pick at # 4

Marner has proven that he was the 2nd best player in that draft

I would put Rantanen there with him.

 

[Notsince67]

I would put Rantanen there with him.

Rantanen is a beast offensively...mainly because he cheats defensively. Just awful in that category

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I still remember that there was a big debate on Strome, Hanifin, and Marner - thank God Marner was our pick at # 4

Marner has proven that he was the 2nd best player in that draft

Didn't Babs want Hanifin badly? Hanifin is a fine dman but yeah, we dodged that bullet cause Mitch is absolutely one of the best wingers in hockey.

 

[ZEBROA]

Rantanen is a beast offensively...mainly because he cheats defensively. Just awful in that category

Depends on the picking teams need IMO. Playmaker vs Sniper.
But im starting to feel uncomfortable saying to many good things about a Finnish player . Being from Sweden the "friendly" rivaly is always present.

Happy Leafs dodged some bullets in that draft.

 

[Notsince67]

Depends on the picking teams need IMO. Playmaker vs Sniper.
But im starting to feel uncomfortable saying to many good things about a Finnish player . Being from Sweden the "friendly" rivaly is always present.

Happy Leafs dodged some bullets in that draft.

You need a coach that will allow it. On the Leafs, the defensive effort that Rantanen puts out would get him benched. We are probably saying the same thing though.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Didn't Babs want Hanifin badly? Hanifin is a fine dman but yeah, we dodged that bullet cause Mitch is absolutely one of the best wingers in hockey.

Cost controlled D (Hanifin - $4,950,000) can have sneaky value.

Is Marner worth 2 Haifin's ?

 

[Gary Nylund]

I still remember that there was a big debate on Strome, Hanifin, and Marner - thank God Marner was our pick at # 4

Marner has proven that he was the 2nd best player in that draft

Interesting to think what would have happened had Arizona drafted Marner instead. Drafting Strome was an epic fail on their part, nothing good seems to happen to those poor AZ fans.

I would put Rantanen there with him.

Yeah I can see the case for him. I think I prefer Marner but that said, people tend to have a bias toward their own players and I don't think I'm immune to that. Objectively I'd say it's hard to choose between the two so it's probably fair to say they're on the same tier.

IMO the Marner vs Eichel is settled at this point though. Shout out to @diceman934 who said Marner was the 2nd best in this draft from day one. Now he'll probably scold me for saying Ranta's on the same tier but that's OK, I can deal.

 

[Notsince67]

Cost controlled D (Hanifin - $4,950,000) can have sneaky value.

Is Marner worth 2 Haifin's ?

what are you seeing?

 

[ACC1224]

I still remember that there was a big debate on Strome, Hanifin, and Marner - thank God Marner was our pick at # 4

Marner has proven that he was the 2nd best player in that draft

Hunter would have picked Marner at 2 if the Leafs had that pick, no way they were passing at 4.

I heard some talk that once Eichel went 2 that the league had a hand in Strome to Arizona to allow the Leafs to grab Marner and help get them back to respectability. Not sure how much I believe that but interesting none the less.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Hunter would have picked Marner at 2 if the Leafs had that pick, no way they were passing at 4.

I heard some talk that once Eichel went 2 that the league had a hand in Strome to Arizona to allow the Leafs to grab Marner and help get them back to respectability. Not sure how much I believe that but interesting none the less.

Conspiracy theories, always interesting.

 

[Mess]

Hunter would have picked Marner at 2 if the Leafs had that pick, no way they were passing at 4.

I heard some talk that once Eichel went 2 that the league had a hand in Strome to Arizona to allow the Leafs to grab Marner and help get them back to respectability. Not sure how much I believe that but interesting none the less.

Don't forget interim GM Kyle Dubas attempted to trade back to #8 with Columbus requesting a bunch of 2nds in the process.

There is an actual youtube leaked confirmation video showing Columbus management discussing and turning down Leafs offer, because they felt the Dman they would get at #8 (Werenski/Provorov) would be similar in value to Noah Hanifin rated #4, so it wasn't worth the multiple 2nds to move up. So they declined Dubas trade back attempt and Leaks picked Marner at #4, whom Hunter wanted.

Blue Jackets draft video shows Leafs offered pick No. 4 for picks No. 8, 34, 38, 58​

A video released by Jackets TV shows Toronto was interested in moving back from fourth overall if Arizona didn't take Noah Hanifin.

Leafs offered fourth overall pick to Blue Jackets

A video released by Jackets TV shows Toronto was interested in moving back from fourth overall if Arizona didn't take Noah Hanifin.

www.pensionplanpuppets.com

 

[Yall are crazy]

I'm pretty sure it was never anyone. Some people thought we should consider trading him at some point (depending on the return of course), that's oh so much different from saying let's get rid of him. That kind of hate has been reserved for guys like Holl, Kerfoot, Engvall etc.

Any player can be traded, saying we should explore the idea of trading him and wondering about what the return could be isn't really a big deal.

Are we just gonna sit here and ignore the smear campaign he faced for six months straight in 2021 and then for 2 months in late 2022. That was some britney level spears, Janet Jackson type shit kind of bullying. It wasn't everyone but it sure looked like most. Like the other ppl in this thread said, a lot of marner supporters stayed silent in the face of the mob while a national bullying campaign went on

Are we just gonna sit here and ignore the smear campaign he faced for six months straight in 2021 and then for 2 months in late 2022. That was some britney level spears, Janet Jackson type shit kind of bullying. It wasn't everyone but it sure looked like most. Like the other ppl in this thread said, a lot of marner supporters stayed silent in the face of the mob while a national bullying campaign went on

I'm sorry but as much hate as holl and kerfoot get it has never been on the type of hate magnitude mitch has had. Not even when willy was the most hated, was it on the Velez of 2021 and Oct 2022

 

[Gary Nylund]

Are we just gonna sit here and ignore the smear campaign he faced for six months straight in 2021 and then for 2 months in late 2022. That was some britney level spears, Janet Jackson type shit kind of bullying. It wasn't everyone but it sure looked like most. Like the other ppl in this thread said, a lot of marner supporters stayed silent in the face of the mob while a national bullying campaign went on

I'm sorry but as much hate as holl and kerfoot get it has never been on the type of hate magnitude mitch has had. Not even when willy was the most hated, was it on the Velez of 2021 and Oct 2022

I don't remember TBH, not pretending. I do remember that Marner was less than impressive in the playoffs and we lost to MTL which IMO was the low point for this core (Marner included) so I get people being pissed. I remember posting that we should consider major changes and I'd be interested in knowing what we could get for Marner in a trade but I also said I wouldn't move unless the return was massive and I honestly don't remember people saying "get rid of him".

As for late 2022, I don't know about smear campaign. There were some people freaking out about the slow start of not just Marner, but pretty much everyone except for JT but it was just noise so I think I mostly ignored it. Not gonna lie, I remember being quite worried myself at some point as the team was just awful but I never thought we'd miss the playoffs like many people were saying. And Marner's regular season point totals, that's something I've never cared much about anyway and I knew he'd have a bunch of points at the end of the season anyway, team's too talented to play like crap forever.

Cliff Notes: Maybe there was more hate for Marner than I remember, I think 6 monts + 2 months of smear campaign is overdoing it though. Also not sure smear campaign is the appropriate term - Marner and the team sucked for a while there, nothing wrong with saying so. JMHO.

 

[ACC1224]

Don't forget interim GM Kyle Dubas attempted to trade back to #8 with Columbus requesting a bunch of 2nds in the process.

There is an actual youtube leaked confirmation video showing Columbus management discussing and turning down Leafs offer, because they felt the Dman they would get at #8 (Werenski/Provorov) would be similar in value to Noah Hanifin rated #4, so it wasn't worth the multiple 2nds to move up. So they declined Dubas trade back attempt and Leaks picked Marner at #4, whom Hunter wanted.

Blue Jackets draft video shows Leafs offered pick No. 4 for picks No. 8, 34, 38, 58​

A video released by Jackets TV shows Toronto was interested in moving back from fourth overall if Arizona didn't take Noah Hanifin.

View attachment 665864

Leafs offered fourth overall pick to Blue Jackets

A video released by Jackets TV shows Toronto was interested in moving back from fourth overall if Arizona didn't take Noah Hanifin.

www.pensionplanpuppets.com

Trigger was never pulled though

 

[Mess]

Trigger was never pulled though

True, but by Columbus, and not for lack of effort on Toronto's side.

So Leaf and Marner appreciation fans, have Mark Hunter to thank for the pick, and Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen for declining Leafs trade back proposal, so they can appreciate Marner in a Leafs jersey today.

 

[ACC1224]

True, but by Columbus, and not for lack of effort on Toronto's side.

So Leaf and Marner appreciation fans, have Mark Hunter to thank for the pick, and Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen for declining Leafs trade proposal.

You're also assuming that no editing was done to the video and all conversations were shown.
My understanding and I told a few people this the night before the draft was as long as Marner was there he was their pick.

 

[Mess]

You're also assuming that no editing was done to the video and all conversations were shown.
My understanding and I told a few people this the night before the draft was as long as Marner was there he was their pick.

No question at #4 Marner was the Leafs pick, as this was Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Hunter's boy (with London) and Leafs scout Lindsay Hofford at the time knew Mitch since he was a young kid. Since they were the ones in charge of making the final selections there was little to no doubt they were taking Mitch.

I also agree if Leafs had traded up Hunter would have made a strong case for likely taking him, also perhaps even ahead of Eichel, but likely would have needed more arm twisting from others that had a vote.

What we do about the 2015 draft is ...

Mark Hunter wanted and selected Mitch Marner.
Coach Babcock was rumoured wanting the smooth skating Dman Noah Hanifin.
Interim GM Kyle Dubas attempted unsuccessfully to trade back from #4 to #8 (Perhaps hoping Marner might still be there) and secure more draft picks in the process.

 

[ACC1224]

No question at #4 Marner was the Leafs pick, as this was Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Hunter's boy (with London) and Leafs scout Lindsay Hofford at the time knew Mitch since he was a young kid. Since they were the ones in charge of making the final selections there was little to no doubt they were taking Mitch.

I also agree if Leafs had trade up Hunter would have likely taken him also perhaps even ahead of Eichel, but likely would have needed more arm twisting from others that had a vote.

I remembering hearing that Hunter was a little relieved that he wouldn't have to choose between Eichel and Marner.
He knew who he wanted but could you imagine the backlash if he passed on Eichel?