Sheldon Keefe says Leafs forward should be up for the Selke - and it's not Auston Matthews
There has been a fair amount of contention between fanbases on just what awards Auston Matthews should be in the running for. Being debated on a regular basis are his candidacy for the Hart, Ted Lindsay, and finally, the Frank J Selke trophy. Is Matthews the most deserving Leaf for the title of "forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game"?
Sheldon Keefe had a different name in mind when he talked to the media a day after the Leafs' win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Mitchell Marner. Marner's high hockey IQ allows him to see plays developing and step in at the perfect moment. It's why he's so dynamic offensively, but it's also why he has excelled as a defensive forward and a penalty killer.
A penalty kill with Mitch Marner on it is a dangerous thing. Any pass, any play the opposing power play tries is at risk of turning into an odd man rush the other way thanks to Marner's great defensive stick and his hand-eye coordination. It should be stated that the other penalty kill regulars, David Kampf, Pierre Engvall and especially Ilya Mikheyev have been ridiculously good as well. However, Marner has something going for him that the rest do not. He's also on pace for 100 points.
Here is a perfect example of Marner's ability to read plays. Marner sees the kick back to the defenceman coming before it happens and jumps into the gap, chipping the puck off the boards to create a 2 on 1 the other way. By driving the net, he draws the full attention of both the goalie and the defender before dropping it back to a wide open David Kampf to simply deposit the puck into a yawning cage. Plays like this are the reason the Leafs penalty kill leads the NHL in shorthanded goals this season.
Marner's defensive game doesn't start and end on the penalty kill either. So far this season he's racked up 50 takeaways, good for 4th in the NHL among forwards. Matthews sits in first at 65, but he doesn't kill penalties. Marner has blocked 27 shots as well, but blocking shots isn't what makes Marner a great defender. Stopping them from happening at all and killing plays is what makes him so special.
Time will tell whether Marner will be recognized for his efforts on the penalty kill and on the defensive side of the puck in general. With 60 points in his last 33 games its incredible that he's able to produce at such a ridiculous pace and still be so good defensively. Marner's 1.71 points per game since January 1st ranks 1st in the NHL.
Marner has been so good lately, one has to wonder, is Mitch Marner the best winger in the National Hockey League right now? The best player behind Auston Matthews? Both?
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 3 | 418 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe says Leafs forward should be up for the Selke - and it's not Auston Matthews Is Mitch Marner better than Connor McDavid right now? | ||
| Objectively, yes | 218 | 52.2 % |
| Definitely | 113 | 27 % |
| Connor who? | 37 | 8.9 % |
| I'm an angry Oilers fan | 50 | 12 % |
| List of polls | ||
