<p>Mitch Marner is excelling in all situations for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it&#8217;s certainly taken into account by his opponents on a daily basis. Marner ranks fourth in NHL scoring with 68 points ahead of Friday&#8217;s games, which ranks second only to Nathan MacKinnon among all Canadian skaters.</p>
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<p>Marner will be a staple for Canada at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, and his working relationship with Canada head coach Jon Cooper could inform some tactical options. Cooper coached him at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, and raved about the differences in his game, seven years later.</p>
<p>&#8220;Probably confidence and swag,” Cooper said on <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/lightning-head-coach-jon-cooper-raves-about-mitch-marners-confidence">November 30</a>, when asked about the difference between the 2017 version of Marner, and his impact presently. &#8220;He’s always had it, but you see it how he plays. You know I’m a massive Mitch Marner fan, being able to coach him in 2017. And he’s always had it in him, but I think he’s let it out a little bit more — and in a good way. You know, he’s not showing off. He does everything with a purpose. And man, it’s amazing how he thinks the game. It’s elite.&#8221;</p>
<p>Marner is widely considered one of the best defensive wingers in the NHL, and it wouldn&#8217;t be particularly surprising if he&#8217;s paired with Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point — two of Cooper&#8217;s favourites with the Tampa Bay Lightning — in a <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/projected-lines-2025-4-nations-face-off-canada-finland-sweden-usa">second-line role</a>. Marner could be moved throughout the lineup, and it&#8217;s tempting to conjure up a first line featuring Selke favourite Sam Reinhart and Connor McDavid, with Marner on the right wing, a line that would be downright impossible to score on, while providing elite scoring punch.</p>
<p>There are several defensive specialists on Canada&#8217;s roster, but Marner also provides outstanding playmaking ability — Seth Jarvis was the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/seth-jarvis-selke-level-defence-propelled-him-over-john-tavares-other-canada-cuts">Selke favourite</a> through the opening quarter of the year, but his defensive impact has waned slightly through the past two months, Anthony Cirelli is a defensive specialist who is earmarked for the fourth-line centre role, and at this stage of their respective careers, Marner is a superior player to Mark Stone. Could Marner feature in all situations for Canada?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/projected-lines-2025-4-nations-face-off-canada-finland-sweden-usa">Daily Faceoff&#8217;s Matt Larkin</a> made the argument that the Cirelli-Hagel tandem may be an unbreakable top penalty kill unit, and it&#8217;s hard to counter against the continuity and excellence of Tampa&#8217;s duo, especially in a short tournament where chemistry is paramount. If Marner or Reinhart feature within the top-six at 5-on-5, Cooper will likely be mindful of overexertion and will try to give the two all-around specialists some rest, as well. Marner could very well get power play minutes — although, with the bevy of offensive talent available, the only locks would be Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.</p>
<p>&#8220;During the Worlds in my rookie season, he seemed to have a real appreciation of my game, something I obviously was very thankful for,&#8221; Marner said of Cooper in January via <a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/mitch-marner-set-to-shine-for-canada-at-4-nations-in-montreal">NHL.com&#8217;s Mike Zeisberger</a>. &#8220;He&#8217;s an amazing coach. I only had him for that tournament but obviously what he’s done in Tampa, winning two Cups and all, is pretty remarkable.&#8221;</p>
<p>It is certainly worth noting that Reinhart, Hagel, Cirelli, Jarvis and Stone all boast superior expected goals against per 60 and expected goals shares this season at 5-on-5. Marner is quietly functioning closer to league-average defensively this year while taking on a larger share of the Maple Leafs&#8217; offence. If it&#8217;s about current form, and it ought to be, the case for his inclusion on the penalty kill may come down to Cooper&#8217;s endorsement, although he&#8217;d surely place Cirelli and Hagel ahead of him. So perhaps Marner will be used as a top-six option at 5-on-5 while getting some time on the second power play unit, letting Cirelli, Hagel, Reinhart and Point do the dirty work on the kill.</p>
<p>Marner is having a tremendous season and he&#8217;s one of Cooper&#8217;s favourite players in the league, which could go a long way during this tournament, while noting that three Lightning staples comprise Canada&#8217;s 13-forward lineup. There&#8217;s a possibility Marner could play in all situations and ultimately, it may come down to his strong working relationship with Cooper.</p>
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Mitch Marner is excelling in all situations for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it's certainly taken into account by his opponents on a daily basis. Marner ranks fourth in NHL scoring with 68 points ahead of Friday's games, which ranks second only to Nathan MacKinnon among all Canadian skaters.
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Marner will be a staple for Canada at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, and his working relationship with Canada head coach Jon Cooper could inform some tactical options. Cooper coached him at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, and raved about the differences in his game, seven years later.

"Probably confidence and swag,” Cooper said on <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/lightning-head-coach-jon-cooper-raves-about-mitch-marners-confidence">November 30</a>, when asked about the difference between the 2017 version of Marner, and his impact presently. "He’s always had it, but you see it how he plays. You know I’m a massive Mitch Marner fan, being able to coach him in 2017. And he’s always had it in him, but I think he’s let it out a little bit more — and in a good way. You know, he’s not showing off. He does everything with a purpose. And man, it’s amazing how he thinks the game. It’s elite."

Marner is widely considered one of the best defensive wingers in the NHL, and it wouldn't be particularly surprising if he's paired with Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point — two of Cooper's favourites with the Tampa Bay Lightning — in a <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/projected-lines-2025-4-nations-face-off-canada-finland-sweden-usa">second-line role</a>. Marner could be moved throughout the lineup, and it's tempting to conjure up a first line featuring Selke favourite Sam Reinhart and Connor McDavid, with Marner on the right wing, a line that would be downright impossible to score on, while providing elite scoring punch.

There are several defensive specialists on Canada's roster, but Marner also provides outstanding playmaking ability — Seth Jarvis was the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/seth-jarvis-selke-level-defence-propelled-him-over-john-tavares-other-canada-cuts">Selke favourite</a> through the opening quarter of the year, but his defensive impact has waned slightly through the past two months, Anthony Cirelli is a defensive specialist who is earmarked for the fourth-line centre role, and at this stage of their respective careers, Marner is a superior player to Mark Stone. Could Marner feature in all situations for Canada?

<a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/projected-lines-2025-4-nations-face-off-canada-finland-sweden-usa">Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin</a> made the argument that the Cirelli-Hagel tandem may be an unbreakable top penalty kill unit, and it's hard to counter against the continuity and excellence of Tampa's duo, especially in a short tournament where chemistry is paramount. If Marner or Reinhart feature within the top-six at 5-on-5, Cooper will likely be mindful of overexertion and will try to give the two all-around specialists some rest, as well. Marner could very well get power play minutes — although, with the bevy of offensive talent available, the only locks would be Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

"During the Worlds in my rookie season, he seemed to have a real appreciation of my game, something I obviously was very thankful for," Marner said of Cooper in January via <a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/mitch-marner-set-to-shine-for-canada-at-4-nations-in-montreal">NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger</a>. "He's an amazing coach. I only had him for that tournament but obviously what he’s done in Tampa, winning two Cups and all, is pretty remarkable."

It is certainly worth noting that Reinhart, Hagel, Cirelli, Jarvis and Stone all boast superior expected goals against per 60 and expected goals shares this season at 5-on-5. Marner is quietly functioning closer to league-average defensively this year while taking on a larger share of the Maple Leafs' offence. If it's about current form, and it ought to be, the case for his inclusion on the penalty kill may come down to Cooper's endorsement, although he'd surely place Cirelli and Hagel ahead of him. So perhaps Marner will be used as a top-six option at 5-on-5 while getting some time on the second power play unit, letting Cirelli, Hagel, Reinhart and Point do the dirty work on the kill.

Marner is having a tremendous season and he's one of Cooper's favourite players in the league, which could go a long way during this tournament, while noting that three Lightning staples comprise Canada's 13-forward lineup. There's a possibility Marner could play in all situations and ultimately, it may come down to his strong working relationship with Cooper.
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How Mitch Marner’s working relationship with Jon Cooper could inform Canada’s tactical options

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