Marner showing off ‘elite’ skill to lead Maple Leafs

PITTSBURGH -- Mitch Marner is making an impact this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, on the scoresheet and with his new coach.

Through 27 games the forward has a team-leading 28 assists and 38 points, and is on pace for 115 points, which would smash his NHL career high of 99 set in 2022-23.

On Nov. 30, during a two-assist game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena, he almost accidentally smashed Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube in the head with a puck on two separate clearing attempts during Toronto’s 5-3 victory.

Was he trying to send a message?

“I almost got hit twice,” said Berube, who is in his first season as Toronto’s coach. “I've got to talk to Mitch. I don't know if he's [ticked] off at me or what.

“I guess he needs more ice time.”

Joking aside, he’s already getting it.

Marner, in fact, leads all Maple Leafs players in ice time at 21:40 per game heading into Toronto’s matchup against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, TSN4). He kills penalties (2:36 per game, third on team), is a foundational piece on the first unit power play (3:19 per game, second on team), and has arguably been Toronto’s most effective skater this season.

The 27-year-old comes into New Jersey with 11 multipoint games in his past 14, including nine points (one goal, eight assists) in his past five games.

Perhaps his most impressive stretch came in the nine games Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed because of an upper-body injury. In that stretch, Marner had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists), helping the Maple Leafs (16-9-2) go 7-2-0 while clicking at 32.4 percent on the power play, which was second in the NHL in that span.

And he's doing it with the type of pizzazz and flair that has caught the attention of Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who coached Marner for Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Championship when he had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 10 games. Cooper will be coaching Marner for Team Canada again this season when the 4 Nations Face-Off is held from Feb. 12-20.

Cooper, when asked if he’s seen a difference in Marner this season, said, “Probably confidence and swag. He’s always had it, but you see it how he plays. You know I’m a massive Mitch Marner fan, being able to coach him in 2017. And he’s always had it in him, but I think he’s let it out a little bit more -- and in a good way.

“You know, he’s not showing off. He does everything with a purpose. And man, it’s amazing how he thinks the game. It’s elite.”

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby saw that firsthand during a training session held by trainer Andy O’Brien in Vail, Colorado in early September, an event that also featured other Canadian 4 Nations teammates like Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers.

“He’s just so silky,” Crosby said. “I mean, he’s very shifty out there. Just his ability to buy time and create space and his playmaking ability, all those things.

“He’s just a heck of a hockey player all the way around. And his hockey IQ is off the charts.”

The management team for Canada’s 4 Nations team agrees. In fact, when it came time for the roster to be selected, assistant general manager Jim Nill said Marner’s inclusion was “a no-brainer.”

“It’s going to be a very cool moment,” Marner said of representing his country. “You always want to wear your colors and it’s always a great honor to represent your country.

“I'm super excited for it and super honored.”

And he’s doing all this while playing the final season of a six-year, $65.358 million deal ($10.9 million average annual value) he signed September 13, 2019. He can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Marner, who said before the season he hopes to stay in Toronto, says the contract situation is in no way a distraction for him this season. In his mind, it’s all about going to the rink, doing what he loves to do, and having fun.

So far this season, he’s doing exactly that.