Auston Matthews remains out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. He continues to deal with an upper-body injury that sidelined him earlier in the season. In his absence, Mitch Marner, a pending unrestricted free agent for the Toronto Maple Leafs, has stepped up his game.
Mitch Marner has 26 goals, 58 assists and a plus-minus of +19 in 66 games without Auston Matthews in his career. Marner recorded a hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings in the first game back from the holiday break.
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If you look at the statistics, Marner proves he is an important part of the Maple Leafs wheel. Without Matthews in the lineup, Marner has collected multiple points in 8 of 12 games this season without Auston Matthews in the lineup.
Just look at his points per game with and without Matthews in the lineup. While it is only up by .20 points per game, Marner is making a case he is just as valuable as Matthews.
Mitch Marner career points per game
With Matthews in lineup: 1.07
Without Matthews in lineup: 1.27— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) December 28, 2024
Many people wondered if the Maple Leafs should break up the core after their playoff failures, pointing the finger at Marner for his playoff performances. However, with a new coach, Craig Berube, coming in, there was a belief that he could get this group to buy into another way of playing.
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It appears it is working, and Mitch Marner has taken the criticism to heart and personally. He is proving, though he doesn’t have to, as Mike Johnson said on TSN Radio in Toronto, that he can lead a team and is an important piece to the success of this club.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Host: “While he’s (Auston Matthews) out. MJ, like, how big of an opportunity is this for Mitch Marner to really step up and say, ‘Hey, I’m worth the money that I think I’m worth because I can lead a team.’ And he has an opportunity to do so, as long as Matthews is out.”
Mike Johnson: “Yeah, I guess. I mean, I don’t think, I don’t know if Mitch needs to show that, prove that. I mean, Mitch has been one of the best right-wingers in the league for like five years. Yes, he has great players around him, and he still has very good players around him. He performed incredibly well when Matthews was out the first time.
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And if he continues to do so, I guess then he could claim, see I can do it as well. Pay me what I want, and maybe that helps his cause in negotiation. But I don’t think Mitch should feel like he has to prove anything to anyone about how well he could play for the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
Host: “Yeah, that’s probably fair.
We know Marner is looking to get more than the $10.9 million he is currently getting on an AAV. William Nylander is getting $11.5 million AAV on his current. Meanwhile, Matthews is at $13.25 million. Marner is showing is worth somewhere in the middle.
We have seen it around the league, especially teams that have multiple superstar players; when one of them goes down, someone else steps up. How many times did Evgeni Malkin step up without Sidney Crosby in the lineup?
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Go look at the Colorado Avalanche; Mikko Rantanen or Nathan MacKinnon are out, and the other steps up. When they had Nazem Kadri, he lifted his game to new heights.
There are so many examples throughout the history of the game. Does this make a stronger case for Mitch Marner in negotiations? It sure does. The longer Matthews is out, the higher the number on an AAV Marner will get on his next deal. Whether that is with Toronto remains to be seen.
However, right now, all signs point to a return, but the Maple Leafs do have other areas they need to think about as well. But not bringing back Mitch Marner could be a regrettable decision.”
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