Mitch Marner has always had the pressure on during the playoffs. With one of the largest salaries in the NHL, fans expect him to perform well when it counts, in the post-season. While he has lived up to his deal during regular season play, he seems to disappoint Leaf fans most years in the playoffs. This year has been no different, despite being just two games into the post-season, as Marner is being widely criticized online for his play.
However, Sheldon Keefe doesn't agree with fan sentiment on Marner. He recently spoke about Marner's play, saying he has been great for the Leafs defensively in shutting down the Bruins top line.
Clearly, a defensive effort doesn't show up on the scoresheet, so fans are more likely to overlook his contributions on that front. However, fans do have a case to make that for 11 million dollars, he should be contributing to both defensive and offensive efforts.