MacKinnon: Marner 'gets a lot of flak' but is one of the best
The NHL's MVP is singing the praises of a much-maligned member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nathan MacKinnon has been training with fellow Nova Scotian star Sidney Crosby in Vail, Colorado along with other impact players in the league, and they recently added Mitch Marner to the group.
"He looks awesome,” the Colorado Avalanche superstar said of Marner, according to Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin. “He’s always so impressive out there. Even just playing with him (at the 2017 World Championship), he just came off his rookie year. Unreal, just so good, so talented.”
MacKinnon added that he roots for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs when the Avalanche are eliminated or on an off-day because of the high level of scrutiny the Atlantic Division squad faces in the Toronto market. The Avalanche dynamo also feels for Marner amid all the criticism.
“It’s a hard league to win in and obviously I think Marner gets a lot of flak in Toronto, but he’s honestly one of the best players in the league,” MacKinnon said. “I play with some of the best players in the league, and then I skate with (Marner) and he’s right up there with anyone. Especially at that Vail camp, there’s a lot of good players, and he’s stuck out as one of the best for sure.”
Marner has been a potential trade candidate ever since the spring, when the Maple Leafs were eliminated from the opening round for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. The 27-year-old winger is a pending unrestricted free agent carrying a cap hit of roughly $10.9 million.
He posted 26 goals and 59 assists while averaging 21:17 of ice time across 69 regular-season games last season, and he added a goal and two assists in seven postseason contests. Marner scored at least 30 goals in both of the two previous campaigns with 97 and 99 points. He's also produced in the playoffs with 11 tallies and 39 helpers over 57 postseason games.
However, Marner hasn't scored in 16 instances of Games 5-7 in the last five campaigns and has just five assists in those contests.
The Canadian forward has spent his entire eight-year career with the Maple Leafs, who drafted him fourth overall in 2015.