Mitch Marner Discussion - 2016/17 Season

[HellasLEAF]

his smarts give him such an edge every time out there you don't even think about his size all you think about is if his play will result in a goal.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Mitch looks better on Matthews' wing than Nylander, he needs to stay there.

 

[taurine330]

Matthews and Marner. This could be an exciting season.

 

[Atomos2]

Mitch needs to get a shoot first mentality. He is too used to playing with Dvo and Tkachuk who are used to his overpassing and "wasting scoring opportunities for a chance at better ones" style of play.

 

[buttman*]

Mitch looks better on Matthews' wing than Nylander, he needs to stay there.

He's a better player than Nylander. Doesn't make Nylander bad, Mitch just sees the ice so well and is very very smart.

 

[Sip]

The biggest thing I have seen that differentiates Marner from any young player I have in recent memory is his passing ability.

He is extremely deceptive.

He looks like he is going somewhere with the puck, and then it goes somewhere else entirely. It makes his passes really hard to predict so hard to defend against, but also hard for his line mates to accept. They often appear surprised the pick ended up going to them.

 

[authentic]

The biggest thing I have seen that differentiates Marner from any young player I have in recent memory is his passing ability.

He is extremely deceptive.

He looks like he is going somewhere with the puck, and then it goes somewhere else entirely. It makes his passes really hard to predict so hard to defend against, but also hard for his line mates to accept. They often appear surprised the pick ended up going to them.

They'll get used to it and figure out soon enough that when they're on the ice with him they should be ready for a pass whenever he has the puck. It's amazing to see a player like this on the Leafs, his vision and hockey sense are top tier. Once he gets accustomed to the NHL game I could see him being similar to Gaudreau, which is amazing.

 

[2022 Stanley Cup]

I think that everyone can tell that Marner is incredible skilled, an elite passer, puck handler, and skater. His only issue I can see is that he looks like he is almost afraid to take any shots. I did not watch much of the game last night but I saw a play where he had at least half of the net to shoot at and he just passed the puck away. If he plans on sticking with the leafs this year he has to know when to take a shot.

Still I say he makes the team out of camp and as soon as he becomes more comfortable he will start making the right plays.

 

[Apotheosis]

I find that weird as well considering his wrister specifically looked noticeably improved from last year.

 

[Menzinger]

He's a better player than Nylander. Doesn't make Nylander bad, Mitch just sees the ice so well and is very very smart.

I think we'll need some more icetime from both guys until we can say something like that.

So far neither has definitely shown they should be pairs with Matthews

 

[buttman*]

I think we'll need some more icetime from both guys until we can say something like that.

So far neither has definitely shown they should be pairs with Matthews

I'm entitled to my opinion and I stand by it. Marner is much more noticible in the games than Nylander is.

 

[mallory67]

I just want to explain something to people who still moan about Marner's size.

- Size does not matter in the NHL anymore, ESPECIALLY for a guy like Marner. Why do you say? Let me explain; Gretzky is the best example. You could not hit the guy. He thought the game so well that you just would never catch him flat footed. Marner, like Gaudreau, Johnson, Kane etc. is EXTREMELY elusive. He combines a cerebral off puck movement tendency with a lot of tenacity and ability to get the puck back. There are more "goons" going after Marner and co. in the OHL/AHL (theoretically any small guy playing in the AHL) than there is in the NHL. The NHL is a pure skill game. Hence why D are more considered on their ability to skate and move the puck. Skill and mobility is what has taken over.

- Marner has gotten much quicker. On top of his arguably generational ability to see the ice and make plays and his insane evasiveness and edge work, he now has great acceleration and top end speed. This will make him WAY harder to hit and more threatening on the rush. People being scared that he will be targeted because of his size are wrong. Marner knows his own size, hence why he doesn't get hit. He's too intelligent for that. A guy like Lindros who was massive got destroyed. Where's the size argument for that? Same with Ekblad last season.

- He's too skilled to not make the NHL at this point. He was so good in pre-season that I genuinely thought he was playing at a level above his teammates on his line. Some passes he made, his line mates didn't expect him to get them the puck tape to tape. We are talking about a player with legitimate 100 point a season potential.

Seriously, just stop fretting about his size and just enjoy the magic he will bring, night in and night out. He's the kind of talent that is going to make Rielly score insane amounts of points by virtue of just playing with him.

You can save a lot of time:

Yzerman was 5'11" (and whiphet thin) when drafted and played in a much goonier/dirtier era.

 

[Xscout*]

I'm entitled to my opinion and I stand by it. Marner is much more noticible in the games than Nylander is.

Devils advocate would say that's because you're looking for him more than willie.

They're both going to be great. no reason to take a red vs blue mentality here bud.

 

[buttman*]

Devils advocate would say that's because you're looking for him more than willie.

They're both going to be great. no reason to take a red vs blue mentality here bud.

If you read my first post it clearly states this doesn't make Nylander bad. Marner is a better player in my book and again I am entitled to my opinion.

 

[Apotheosis]

You can save a lot of time:

Yzerman was 5'11" (and whiphet thin) when drafted and played in a much goonier/dirtier era.

Aha, that took me a minute to type up. But yes, yet another example of it.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

The biggest thing I have seen that differentiates Marner from any young player I have in recent memory is his passing ability.

He is extremely deceptive.

He looks like he is going somewhere with the puck, and then it goes somewhere else entirely. It makes his passes really hard to predict so hard to defend against, but also hard for his line mates to accept. They often appear surprised the pick ended up going to them.

I find it hard sometimes to even pick up that he has already passed the puck! Magic suits him to a tee because he is the puck illusionist. Its probably almost impossible to read on the ice what he has just done.

 

[Christ]

Mitch looks better on Matthews' wing than Nylander, he needs to stay there.

These two think the game at a higher level then anyone else on the roster...match them with a finisher like JVR and look out.

 

[TheLeastOfTheBunch]

Mitch needs to get a shoot first mentality. He is too used to playing with Dvo and Tkachuk who are used to his overpassing and "wasting scoring opportunities for a chance at better ones" style of play.

Babcock mentioned in a couple of press scrums that the young guys had a tendency to stickhandle on the outside and overpass right now, which is mostly a symptom of youthful exuberance and inexperience. Only a matter of time until Babcock drives home the idea of directing more shots on net with Marner

 

[Wafflewhipper]

These two think the game at a higher level then anyone else on the roster...match them with a finisher like JVR and look out.

That sounds about right but Babs might be serious about starting him as third line center. For awhile i could understand it reasonably well. Bozak is the best choice for that 3rd line role though. Something that never gets talked about much but, Kadri should be moved to the left wing with Nylander apprenticing as 2nd line center.

 

[diceman934]

I think we'll need some more icetime from both guys until we can say something like that.

So far neither has definitely shown they should be pairs with Matthews

All 3 of the Rookies need some more ice time to figure it out and not just the two....

 

[Ropesman]

I find it amazing because in normal circumstances when evaluating a rookies performance in camp to see if he belongs or not, often times you want the player to just blend in and not look out of place and that can be enough to make a team. In Mitch's case he is constantly standing out almost every single time he steps on the ice. He really stepped it up this off season and came into this season on a mission, and thus fat he is doing a damn fine job.

 

[Christ]

I find it amazing because in normal circumstances when evaluating a rookies performance in camp to see if he belongs or not, often times you want the player to just blend in and not look out of place and that can be enough to make a team. In Mitch's case he is constantly standing out almost every single time he steps on the ice. He really stepped it up this off season and came into this season on a mission, and thus fat he is doing a damn fine job.

Marner is not an average prospect it seems...

 

[Gabriel426]

Going to be an exciting season. can't wait till the start of the season.

 

[Semantics]

I find it amazing because in normal circumstances when evaluating a rookies performance in camp to see if he belongs or not, often times you want the player to just blend in and not look out of place and that can be enough to make a team. In Mitch's case he is constantly standing out almost every single time he steps on the ice. He really stepped it up this off season and came into this season on a mission, and thus fat he is doing a damn fine job.

I thought he looked a lot better in camp last year than most give him credit for. The biggest difference was simply that last year he was trying to always make the safe play, but the vision, hockey IQ, and skill was evident back then too. He had a positive impact last year, just didn't stand out the way he is this year, now that he's holding on to the puck more.

Anyway, hopefully he keeps this up, and we can finally put to bed all the size garbage, or "OHL is full of little boys" nonsense (saw so much of that in the McDavid vs Eichel debate a year ago too).

 

[Ropesman]

I thought he looked a lot better in camp last year than most give him credit for. The biggest difference was simply that last year he was trying to always make the safe play, but the vision, hockey IQ, and skill was evident back then too. He had a positive impact last year, just didn't stand out the way he is this year, now that he's holding on to the puck more.

Anyway, hopefully he keeps this up, and we can finally put to bed all the size garbage, or "OHL is full of little boys" nonsense (saw so much of that in the McDavid vs Eichel debate a year ago too).

Totally agree, I guess you could even say management played it perfectly. Better he go back to London last year and win while dominating then to lose with the tankshow that went on last year. His year in junior last year has to play into the higher level of self confidence he has come in with this year.

OHL is easily the best league in terms of developing young hockey player the world has to offer. Anyone who thinks otherwise is sadly mistaken.