Nathan MacKinnon speaks highly of Mitch Marner in new interview

Last season, Marner was probably one of the most hated men in Toronto, as fans looked for a scapegoat for the Maple Leafs' first-round elimination. Even though Marner visibly played with a lot of heart and intensity in all games, he made big mistakes that helped the Bruins get past the first round.

With Auston Matthews and William Nylander both missing several games against the Boston Bruins in the first round, the team had little chance of reaching the next round, and Marner had a lot on his shoulders. In seven games, he ended up tallying only three points, including one goal, far from the production he had last year, when he scored 14 points in 11 games.

Let's not forget that he came back from a high ankle sprain, an injury that often takes months to heal, after only a few weeks, which possibly affected his performance.

Marner, 27, is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025, and his next contract should be a hot topic until he reaches an agreement. Meanwhile, he prepares for the next season. With Craig Berube replacing Sheldon Keefe as the Leafs' head coach, we could very well see Marner producing at his usual level.

This summer, Marner has been training in Colorado, alongside Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby and Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon, two of the best players in the NHL.

During the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas, MacKinnon spoke out about Marner, saying he's one of the best players in the league, but he receives a lot of criticism nonetheless.

From The Hockey News' Michael Traikos:

It'll be interesting to see how Marner performs as he'll look to secure a nice contract at the end of the season.

Source for Mitch Marner's statistics: NHL.com

Source: The Hockey News
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