I usually just lurk around here, but jeez some of the responses here are honestly hilarious after one fairly meaningless game that I couldn't help but reply.
1. Marner is a stud, and looked great tonight. He came to play and it's good to see him dominate. That being said, I would have been disappointed had he NOT stood out, as this will be the weakest competition he will likely face this pre-season. It would've been a bit worrisome if he hadn't been able to play well against mostly scrubs who will never be regular NHLers. Marner has to be 110% every game because unlike Nylander or Matthews his spot is not necessarily set in the stone the way theirs are. Some people went a bit overboard saying how he was the only good player or how nobody is worthy of him or that Kadri is a big dummy and bad linemate, which leads me to my next point.
2. Criticism of Kadri
I know he's polarizing as hell around here (which is odd considering he's a very good player), but seriously come on. Take a step back, and seriously sit down and do a reality check. Read and think about the answer to the following questions, objectively:
Do you
seriously believe that Kadri was playing at his full capability tonight, or playing anywhere near his best, at full intensity?
Does Kadri have any incentive to go hard and be the hero or be a standout star player, when he's playing with AND against mostly AHL fodder?
Is Kadri's role in any sort of jeopardy?
To me, it was evident that he was taking it easy (like, less than 75%), and kind of having some fun and being a little selfish because he could, cause he can't exactly do this kind of stuff when the actual season is underway. Why risk injury and go hard to try and be a hero in a worthless game, when your spot is solidified? As the pre-season goes on and more guys get cut and the rosters start to shape up, I fully expect him to ramp up his play to a more serious level. Kadri just got a long-term extension, and has been given the keys in terms of the top matchups and assignments, his job is 100% safe. With the team finally getting an influx of talent, I expect him to have a great season. Looking back, this is very ironic because not too long ago it was Kadri who was the hungry young guy in pre-season, trying to crack the roster and people were complaining that he was stuck playing with inferior talent.
3. Trying to predict where Marner is gonna play. Nobody knows this, he may not even make the team, so saying definitively (not speculating, but speaking as if its fact) he is gonna play with Bozak or Kadri or Laich or whoever else is stupid. Nobody knows, that's what camp is for, to figure out what works and what doesn't. Furthermore, it's idiotic to say that him and Kadri will somehow not work together, or that Bozak would be a much better fit. I am not sure who he will have better chemistry with, but I do not see any reason why he can't succeed with Kadri. Saying Kadri is a puck hog and selfish is inaccurate, because his best asset is his playmaking, and all season long he fed Komarov and Grabner some great passes but Komarov could only convert occasionally while Grabner was a frustrating black hole. Marner would actually be a solid fit with Kadri, because Kadri thinks the game at a high level in the offensive zone, and has the skill to pull off some ridiculous moves that few players can do; for years Kadri has had terrible linemates and Marner would be one of the few high skilled guys he's gotten to play with. He will be able to keep up with Marner, and if anything, he will help Marner facilitate the use of his shot more, as Marner has a great shot and Kadri can set him up well. Skilled players find ways to work together.
At this point I am just happy that Marner has made a lot of progress since this same time one year ago, and I hope that he can continue to play this way for the rest of the pre-season and earn his spot on the team.