Mitch Marner - 2015 4th overall

[bustaheims]

This is what I can't get over. This isn't Laine or Matthews beating up Team France or whatever. Marner (and the Knights) are just streamrolling over the best teams in the CHL here.

Yeah. He clearly has nothing left to prove at the junior level - except for maybe trying to break some scoring records. There's a good chance that he wouldn't even need any AHL time at this point (if that were an option, obviously).

 

[Kin]

Marner with another 4 point night (4 assists) in a 5-2 Knights' win. They play in the final on Sunday. He now has 13 points in 3 games, a 4.33 ppg pace in the Memorial Cup tournament. Not a bad showing against the best players in the CHL.

This is what I can't get over. This isn't Laine or Matthews beating up Team France or whatever. Marner (and the Knights) are just streamrolling over the best teams in the CHL here.

Yeah it's, for lack of a better word, almost suspicious. I suppose there's something to be said for the fact that the Knights have at least 4 guys who are/will be high first round picks and a bunch of 2nds/3rds besides but at a very rudimentary glance that doesn't seem to be enough of an explanation.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Like the Knights beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. At first I thought, are they just the hosting team and not that good? Negative on both parts.

The Wheat Kings are the WHL Champs. They went 16-5 through the playoffs, and won their last 3 rounds in just 5 games each. They finished 2nd in the league in the regular season and had the best goal differential. They ended the regular season on an 11-0-2 run. Some of the final scores in the last 2 months of the regular season were 11-1, 8-3, 12-2, 7-2, and 8-1 (x2).

They had 2 players in the top-5 in league scoring, with potential 2017 first overall pick Nolan Patrick being one of them. First rounders John Quenneville and Ivan Provorov (named the WHL's best defencemen) were 3-4 in team scoring. And they also have another potential first round pick this year in Kale Clague on their blue line. 4 of their top-6 scorers are now 20+ years old so it's a pretty veteran team. And they're coached by Kelly McCrimmon, the guy who was courted by the Leafs before he decided to stay in junior.

So this was a very, very good team. Should have definitely been on-par with the Knights on paper. And they just trounced them.

 

[jonlleafs]

Like the Knights beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. At first I thought, are they just the hosting team and not that good? Negative on both parts.

The Wheat Kings are the WHL Champs. They went 16-5 through the playoffs, and won their last 3 rounds in just 5 games each. They finished 2nd in the league in the regular season and had the best goal differential. They ended the regular season on an 11-0-2 run. Some of the final scores in the last 2 months of the regular season were 11-1, 8-3, 12-2, 7-2, and 8-1 (x2).

They had 2 players in the top-5 in league scoring, with potential 2017 first overall pick Nolan Patrick being one of them. First rounders John Quenneville and Ivan Provorov (named the WHL's best defencemen) were 3-4 in team scoring. And they also have another potential first round pick this year in Kale Clague on their blue line. 4 of their top-6 scorers are now 20+ years old so it's a pretty veteran team. And they're coached by Kelly McCrimmon, the guy who was courted by the Leafs before he decided to stay in junior.

So this was a very, very good team. Should have definitely been on-par with the Knights on paper. And they just trounced them.

I just hope that means Marner is just THAT special that even the best of the competition doesn't even faze him and that he can do stuff at-will.  I can only hope he's the 2nd coming of Patrick Kane, minus all of the off ice crap.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

Like the Knights beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. At first I thought, are they just the hosting team and not that good? Negative on both parts.

The Wheat Kings are the WHL Champs. They went 16-5 through the playoffs, and won their last 3 rounds in just 5 games each. They finished 2nd in the league in the regular season and had the best goal differential. They ended the regular season on an 11-0-2 run. Some of the final scores in the last 2 months of the regular season were 11-1, 8-3, 12-2, 7-2, and 8-1 (x2).

They had 2 players in the top-5 in league scoring, with potential 2017 first overall pick Nolan Patrick being one of them. First rounders John Quenneville and Ivan Provorov (named the WHL's best defencemen) were 3-4 in team scoring. And they also have another potential first round pick this year in Kale Clague on their blue line. 4 of their top-6 scorers are now 20+ years old so it's a pretty veteran team. And they're coached by Kelly McCrimmon, the guy who was courted by the Leafs before he decided to stay in junior.

So this was a very, very good team. Should have definitely been on-par with the Knights on paper. And they just trounced them.

I just hope that means Marner is just THAT special that even the best of the competition doesn't even faze him and that he can do stuff at-will.  I can only hope he's the 2nd coming of Patrick Kane, minus all of the off ice crap.

The thing I've been most impressed with in the tournament is his defensive play. He's a small guy with a short stick, but he steals the puck so often and turns play the other way. And like Herman said, he just knows where his linemates are. In the defensive zone he also has a knack for getting his stick in the lane and deflecting pucks. On offense the guy can lift the puck a few inches over a stick on a very short pass and still have it drop on its face and settle down for the shooter.

At this point I believe the Knights have won 16 games in a row, and I can't see that changing before the end of the tournament.

 

[Zee]

Like the Knights beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. At first I thought, are they just the hosting team and not that good? Negative on both parts.

The Wheat Kings are the WHL Champs. They went 16-5 through the playoffs, and won their last 3 rounds in just 5 games each. They finished 2nd in the league in the regular season and had the best goal differential. They ended the regular season on an 11-0-2 run. Some of the final scores in the last 2 months of the regular season were 11-1, 8-3, 12-2, 7-2, and 8-1 (x2).

They had 2 players in the top-5 in league scoring, with potential 2017 first overall pick Nolan Patrick being one of them. First rounders John Quenneville and Ivan Provorov (named the WHL's best defencemen) were 3-4 in team scoring. And they also have another potential first round pick this year in Kale Clague on their blue line. 4 of their top-6 scorers are now 20+ years old so it's a pretty veteran team. And they're coached by Kelly McCrimmon, the guy who was courted by the Leafs before he decided to stay in junior.

So this was a very, very good team. Should have definitely been on-par with the Knights on paper. And they just trounced them.

I just hope that means Marner is just THAT special that even the best of the competition doesn't even faze him and that he can do stuff at-will.  I can only hope he's the 2nd coming of Patrick Kane, minus all of the off ice crap.

Let's not get crazy here.  He's the 2nd coming of Dougie Gilmour.

 

[Tigger]

Like the Knights beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. At first I thought, are they just the hosting team and not that good? Negative on both parts.

The Wheat Kings are the WHL Champs. They went 16-5 through the playoffs, and won their last 3 rounds in just 5 games each. They finished 2nd in the league in the regular season and had the best goal differential. They ended the regular season on an 11-0-2 run. Some of the final scores in the last 2 months of the regular season were 11-1, 8-3, 12-2, 7-2, and 8-1 (x2).

They had 2 players in the top-5 in league scoring, with potential 2017 first overall pick Nolan Patrick being one of them. First rounders John Quenneville and Ivan Provorov (named the WHL's best defencemen) were 3-4 in team scoring. And they also have another potential first round pick this year in Kale Clague on their blue line. 4 of their top-6 scorers are now 20+ years old so it's a pretty veteran team. And they're coached by Kelly McCrimmon, the guy who was courted by the Leafs before he decided to stay in junior.

So this was a very, very good team. Should have definitely been on-par with the Knights on paper. And they just trounced them.

I just hope that means Marner is just THAT special that even the best of the competition doesn't even faze him and that he can do stuff at-will.  I can only hope he's the 2nd coming of Patrick Kane, minus all of the off ice crap.

Let's not get crazy here.  He's the 2nd coming of Dougie Gilmour.

Minus all of the off ice crap?

 

[L K]

173 points on the cumulative season for Marner now.  Patrick Kane had 176 points in his season with the Knights (in his draft year).

Marner's season is the best total offensive season (outside of Kane) since superstar Justin Azevedo.

 

[Kin]

173 points on the cumulative season for Marner now.  Patrick Kane had 176 points in his season with the Knights (in his draft year).

Marner's season is the best total offensive season (outside of Kane) since superstar Justin Azevedo.

He's surpassed Azevedo, hasn't he?

 

[herman]

I was watching some Darryl Belfry (Skills and Development coach to the stars and Leafs) videos and he was saying how in the NHL, if you're reading and reacting to the play, you're already done. The best players dictate how their opponents have to play because they already have a plan and the skills to pull it off. Marner does that. Matthews does that.

Like the Knights beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 9-1. At first I thought, are they just the hosting team and not that good? Negative on both parts.

The Wheat Kings are the WHL Champs. They went 16-5 through the playoffs, and won their last 3 rounds in just 5 games each. They finished 2nd in the league in the regular season and had the best goal differential. They ended the regular season on an 11-0-2 run. Some of the final scores in the last 2 months of the regular season were 11-1, 8-3, 12-2, 7-2, and 8-1 (x2).

They had 2 players in the top-5 in league scoring, with potential 2017 first overall pick Nolan Patrick being one of them. First rounders John Quenneville and Ivan Provorov (named the WHL's best defencemen) were 3-4 in team scoring. And they also have another potential first round pick this year in Kale Clague on their blue line. 4 of their top-6 scorers are now 20+ years old so it's a pretty veteran team. And they're coached by Kelly McCrimmon, the guy who was courted by the Leafs before he decided to stay in junior.

So this was a very, very good team. Should have definitely been on-par with the Knights on paper. And they just trounced them.

The Knights struggled early this season, but they've settled into a really good groove on the strength of that top line, and also having legitimate secondary threats in Pu, Jones, Piccinich, Juolevi, etc. The top line basically tires out (and overmatches) the opposing top half of the roster. The second and third lines overmatch the remaining bottom half. The fourth line gets 3rd period PP time because the score is already out of hand and the opponents are just playing to get off the ice.

Icing Marner with larger finishers in Dvorak/Tkachuk really lets the Knights have their way with the other teams. There were only 3 games this season in which Marner did not produce a point. He's on a 19 game point streak, and had a 44-game one prior.

 

[L K]

173 points on the cumulative season for Marner now.  Patrick Kane had 176 points in his season with the Knights (in his draft year).

Marner's season is the best total offensive season (outside of Kane) since superstar Justin Azevedo.

He's surpassed Azevedo, hasn't he?

Barely.  171 points in 2007-2008.  124 regular season + 36 OHL playoffs + 11 Memorial Cup points.  Albeit in 92 games vs. 78 games.

 

[Kin]

Barely.  171 points in 2007-2008.  124 regular season + 36 OHL playoffs + 11 Memorial Cup points.  Albeit in 92 games vs. 78 games.

Gotcha. I didn't realize Memorial Cup points weren't included in Playoff Points at HockeyDb.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

The thing about height/weight issues with Marner is he's faced those same concerns at every level and has performed as an elite offensive player at every level.  Sure the NHL is different from junior in that there are bigger age gaps, more mature players and it is pro hockey, but there's a reason elite talents continue to produce as they move up levels of hockey - they adjust.

 

[herman]

Mitch Marner wins CHL Player of the Year.

Just to recap, this season, Marner also won:
1. Red Tilson Trophy for OHL's Most Outstanding Player
2. Wayne Gretzky 99 Trophy for OHL Playoff MVP
3. J. Ross Robertson Cup as a member of the OHL Champion London Knights

The Knights are also in prime position to win the Memorial Cup, and Marner looks like he's on track to win the Stafford Smythe Trophy for the Memorial Cup MVP and the Ed Chenowyth Trophy for Memorial Cup leading scorer.

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Why aren't more people talking about Marner?

I mean he is having one of the two or three best junior seasons of any junior player ever and at most he seems like an afterthought when people talk about the Leafs recently.

I wonder how much of it is tied to his size.

 

[jdh1]

Why aren't more people talking about Marner?

I mean he is having one of the two or three best junior seasons of any junior player ever and at most he seems like an afterthought when people talk about the Leafs recently.

I wonder how much of it is tied to his size.

Good things come in small packages.

 

[Kin]

Why aren't more people talking about Marner?

I mean he is having one of the two or three best junior seasons of any junior player ever and at most he seems like an afterthought when people talk about the Leafs recently.

I wonder how much of it is tied to his size.

Some, maybe, but also some of it is detaching his individual accomplishment from his team accomplishments. The Team accomplishments are great and everything but for the purposes of NHL fans there really isn't a huge difference between someone scoring at the clip Marner did in the regular season(which isn't that uncommon for a Draft+1 player) and then their team getting knocked out of the playoffs and what Marner's done.

Huberdeau, Drouin, Strome...all of those guys had pretty similar years post-draft.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

There will be a sit-down Jeff Marek interview with Marner, Dvorak and Tkachuk before today's Memorial Cup final.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

There will be a sit-down Jeff Marek interview with Marner, Dvorak and Tkachuk before today's Memorial Cup final.

Think they'll talk about Mitch?

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

There will be a sit-down Jeff Marek interview with Marner, Dvorak and Tkachuk before today's Memorial Cup final.

Think they'll talk about Mitch?