Player Discussion Mitch Marner

[Racer88]

So basically some people are mad that Willy gave us some steak instead of the Marner sizzle? Wow...I was a Willy hater up until the last few series where it was evident he was the only guy with any clutch ability whatsoever. But to try and degrade what he does because their favorite Carlton the Bear Hugger can't do the same thing is ridiculous.

Agreed. I was also tough on Willy for his seeming lazy style but there is no longer any denying he is our best playoff performer

 

[57 Years No Cup]

The lack of offense was largely excused by many due to the great job he & his line had been doing on Pastrnak throughout the series.

Pastrnak blows right by him for the series winner.

I love Mitch. I think his best years are still to come.

I love this team more. Think I'm ready for something different

By who? The We Mitchy Fan Club? Defensive Forwards make 5 million a year not 12.

No, him being here for a single game longer is simply unacceptable, sorry. His attitude and general approach to the game is a radioactive cancer for the rest of the team, he simply cannot be allowed to remain around anyone who’s still got a chance of redemption any longer. Doesn’t matter how much leverage needs to be applied or loss in trade value we need to eat, he needs to be dealt with this summer.

 

[Clark4Ever]

I agree. Marner is clearly over Toronto media hysteria. I think Matthews enjoys the spotlight of being "the guy" in such a city. And Nylander doesn't give a f*** about it one way or the other. But Marner's not built for it. Which is why it confuses me that he put all that extra pressure on himself in the contract negotiation and unprecedented dramatic overpayment.

But the hatred for the guy in leaf land has gotten out of hand. It takes a lot for me of all people to say that.

I don't think it's hatred. The vitriol stems from his greed, sense of entitlement, and lack of intensity when it matters most.

I personally have no hard feelings towards him at all. The situation has just reached the point whereby it would be in the best interest of both him and the organization to part ways.

 

[socko]

I have to believe that Nylander used the last Marner contract during negotiatons. He's like look this guy got $11 million as an RFA and I'm a 40 goal UFA and we're going to get me paid. And I can't blame him. Based on just that contract, Nylander took way less than he should have. But we all really know that Nylander got himself overpaid based on the market.

And even Matthews seems to be a better player when he's not playing with Marner. He looked like a legit franchise center playing with Domi and Bert, but looks like a softie that defers to Marner when playing with Marner. I don't know about you, but I never want to see Matthews playing on a line with Marner ever again.

So, I guess I'm saying, he needs to go.

 

[Coatsy79]

I don't think it's hatred. The vitriol stems from his greed, sense of entitlement, and lack of intensity when it matters most.

I personally have no hard feelings towards him at all. The situation has just reached the point whereby it would be in the best interest of both him and the organization to part ways.

Exactly, you can't demand all the money, tying the hands of the team to improve in other areas then just fail to perform when it matters, and then complain that there's no depth etc when your the reason there's no depth

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Fitting end there for the "elite" shutdown winger. Pastrnak OT winner as he flies by Marner.

It was more Rielly’s responsibility to handle the dump ins. And MR44 dropped the ball.

 

[sxvnert]

Agreed. I was also tough on Willy for his seeming lazy style but there is no longer any denying he is our best playoff performer

Willy has been clutch since the Habs series.

 

[Superstar]

The people talking about Marner's style not being effective in the playoffs are accurate.

Willy and Matthews are North/South. They want to go to the net and are always trying to get into the inside on puck battles and open ice plays. They work for their space. Marner doesn't. His style is about space and openness and the playoffs you have less of it. So he becomes REALLY perimeter orientated.

You can question Matthews and Willy in terms of mental makeup and if they can win in the playoffs. But stylistically, I would much rather try it with them than Marner. Plus Matthews and Willy are clearly tougher and more physical than Mitch.

I can't think of a single player who plays like Mitch who won. Comparing him to Kane are off-base. Willy is much closer to Kane stylistically than Marner is.

I can't think of a player who plays like Mitch who won anything.

A perimeter player with a weak shot...a recipe for playoff disaster.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Can't believe we could've saved ourselves from this fate and at least tried to make a trade after the Habs embarrassment. Willy was the only guy they thought about trading. Insane

 

[sunstersun]

A perimeter player with a weak shot...a recipe for playoff disaster.

This. It's not like Marner doesn't try or something. He's just not suited for playoffs hockey.

He's small, slow and got a weak shot.

What are you relying on to be dangerous if you're bad at all 3 key aspects of playoff hockey?

 

[EbonyRaptor]

I think Toronto's troubles goes back to signing Tavares. They knew Mathews and Marner were top end players at that time and even though they probably weren't certain on Nylander yet - Tavares was a luxury and even though it was fun and sexy to have the big-4 - it ultimately doomed them because too much cap space was tied up in them to construct a playoff winning roster. If they could do it all over again I wonder if they would NOT sign Tavares - hometown boy or not.

 

[Antropovsky]

This. It's not like Marner doesn't try or something. He's just not suited for playoffs hockey.

He's small, slow and got a weak shot.

What are you relying on to be dangerous if you're bad at all 3 key aspects of playoff hockey?

Precisely:

- slow
- weak shot
- physically weak
- lacks competitiveness/grit
- folds under pressure
- Doesnt go to dirty areas
- Struggles with confidence

It's not shocking that he struggles in playoff hockey. Its expected.

 

[Superstar]

All Toronto can do at this point is sign him to “reasonable” deal. If MLSe and Mitch cannot come to agreement, ask Mitch and his agent to find a willing trade partner for a sign and trade.

What is a reasonable deal? Even $9.5 x 8 is too much...do you want playoff Marner the next 8 years? We already had him for nearly that many the previous 8 playoff years.

I can't stand Steve Simmons, but in his column today he said "A voice whispering on Marner’s future in Toronto: The Leafs may inform Marner this summer that they have no interest in paying him $10.9 million, his current salary, on his next contract. That kind of talk could force Marner into accepting a move elsewhere, which would require him to waive his no-movement clause."

Not sure who that voice is, and it could be Simmons' main source (the hot dog guy), but that would be a smart way to play this - "listen, we aren't paying you what you currently make, and sure as shit ain't giving you a raise, so the choice is up to you. Oh, we'll also let it be known through friendly media that you refused to waive so have fun dealing with the fans next year."




He has played well in the playoffs the last two years.

A lot of voices on this forum, lol...

 

[57 Years No Cup]

"But but but Mitch playing like shit was ok cause the other team's star player was too!"

Enough with these pathetic excuses already.

 

[arso40]

Rielly was way high on that dump in.. I guess for Rielly reasons? ya Marner should have harassed Pasta for sure on the way in but the winger is the defensemans man, and retrieving dump ins is Riellys job there too. Not sure why he was roaming around up high.

Marner had a way sub par playoff offensively again for sure, and he should get a change of scenery since he’s the latest Leaf fan scapegoat, but there is plenty of blame to go around on that play. Check out controller disconnected Nylander lol

Following Leaf scapegoat tradition. Marner will look good when he comes back and daggers us. The problem is getting some assets for him when he holds the cards.

Are you suggesting nylander should.have picced up Pasta coming into the zone or when he went down low? Cause if you are............LOL

 

[57 Years No Cup]

All good, wait another week before Quartexx Management gets the Marner PR crew on the job. I'm sure Dekes his studying his material as we speak.

Where is NotSince67 anyway....

 

[647Hockey]

Aside from Nylander who seems to be productive no matter if it's regular season playoffs, guys like JT, AM and MM drop like a rock in the playoffs because those guys dont amp up and play a playoff style game.

In the playoffs everything suddenly changes. It's faster, harder hitting, it seems everyone is blocking shots and all the shitty bottom half teams are gone.

When MM's dipsy doodling skating and passing effectively in regular season dries up, AM cant get nice feeds from the hashmark for wristers and JT cant score on rebounds and garage goals from within 10ft, you got 3 of the core 4 offence drying up. And there goes the offence The team cant rely on WN to single handedly score 2 goals per game.

 

[hamzarocks]

Our market sucks to play in, I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to play here.

Personally, I'd want to because I grew up loving this team, but the media and fans are unbearable in this market.

This market is butter soft to play in

A non top 15 player in the league like marner got eveything given to him and hes failed time after time and people still defend him and make excuses.

The NHL as a whole is so irrelevent that a failure of a franchise like Toronto is able to pretend to be a great team every year heading into the playoffs before being humbled. If this was the NBA or NFL the hatred coming to a guy like Marner or Matthews or tavares/nylander would be something to see.

Marner has burnt every goodwill he could have. He is out of excuses now.

Domi outplayed him this series despite being a similar build (small and not fastest skater)..

Marner plays a low IQ, game come playoffa. He is soft and never wants to take the puck to hig danger areas and thinks he can create chances from the point lool

Kessel got it unfair here from the media and some fans. He was a lone dog/elite player on a shitty leafa team. Still he never handled the media as poorly as Marner

Marner has failed to perform and is now whining that he is being called out. That is unacceptable and only happening because Keefe/Dubas/Shanahan allowed this type of garbage entitlement culture to foster (matthews has this attitude as well to a lesser degree)

 

[saffronleaf]

Never mind Nylander, I'm feeling so petty I almost feel like digging up some of the Matthews>Marner posts.

He kills penalties ... he's the best defensive forward in the NHL ... he's the smartest player hockey history ... the PP runs through him ... he's the engine of the team ... legends row ... all-time great ...

Thinking back on it now, the amount of drivel we've had to put up with from the Marner fanboys is unreal. All I can say is that I really hope that this is finally the end of it.

Oh goodness. Fully agreed.

He's the straw that stirs the drink. He's the engine of the team. He's the heart and soul of the team. He has Gretzky level hockey IQ. His juvenile disposition makes him the most likeable.

Blah blah blah.

 

[notbias]

This market is butter soft to play in

A non top 15 player in the league like marner got eveything given to him and hes failed time after time and people still defend him and make excuses

Marner has burnt every goodwill he could have.

Domi outplayed him this series despite being a similar build (small and not fastest skater)..

Marner plays a low IQ, game come playoffa. He is soft and never wants to take the puck to hig danger areas and thinks he can create chances from the point lool

Kessel got it unfair here from the media and some fans. He was a lone dog/elite player on a shitty leafa team. Still he never handled the media as poorly as Marner

Marner has failed to perform and is now whining that he is being called out. That is unacceptable and only happening because Keefe/Dubas/Shanahan allowed this type of garbage entitlement culture to foster (matthews has this attitude as well to a lesser degree(

Domi is the same build? His head is the size of Marner... they are the same height, nothing else.

They don't play similarly either, both pass first, and that is about it.

The culture started with Lou/Babcock, why are they never brought up?

That's who brought in all these players and their mentors.

 

[arso40]

Rielly, Lily and Marner are officially the least useful players this series. Even Samy battled this game 7.

Everyone's harping on lily he just needs to bulk up hes a good young dman

 

[Nineteen67]

Our market sucks to play in, I wouldn't blame anyone for not wanting to play here.

Personally, I'd want to because I grew up loving this team, but the media and fans are unbearable in this market.

As far as media and fans go, imo, it’s one of the easiest large markets in all of sports. If they weren’t in a hockey first country, they’d be out of business.

Everyone's harping on lily he just needs to bulk up hes a good young dman

He’s too slow. Boston is horribly slow and he was unable to keep up with them.

 

[NinjaKick]

It was more Rielly’s responsibility to handle the dump ins. And MR44 dropped the ball.

marner easily could have cut off pastrnaks lane or at least followed and covered him and wack his hands... f*** me

nice play by boston though

 

[Superstar]

Oh goodness. Fully agreed.

He's the straw that stirs the drink. He's the engine of the team. He's the heart and soul of the team. He has Gretzky level hockey IQ. His juvenile disposition makes him the most likeable.

Blah blah blah.

Never understood the Gretzky comparison...I watched a lot Gretzky growing up...if Marner was half as good as Wayne, I'd be ecstatic...besides having eyes on the back of his head, Wayne had an incredible slapper...50 goals in 39 games and 92 goals in one season? Marner can't even compare.