2024 Hart Trophy winner Nathan Mackinnon defends Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner ahead of the season

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner has taken a lot of heat this summer, but not everybody is buying into it. One NHL star, Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon, trained with Marner and Sidney Crosby during the offseason and was seriously impressed with Marner's performance.

Nathan MacKinnon, of course, took home the Hart Trophy last season after that monstrous 51-goal, 140-point run, and knows a thing or two about what it takes to win. And his Cup-winning experience is something Mitch Marner and the Leafs have been missing and have taken their fair share of criticism for, especially in a high-pressure market like Toronto. While praise from MacKinnon may not shut down all the doubters, one thing's for sure, Marner held his own against some of the league's top talent over the summer.

For many, last season's playoff performance against the Bruins did not go as anticipated for Mitch Marner. He had a goal and three points in the series while teammates Auston Matthews and William Nylander were battling health issues. The club called upon Marner to defend Boston's star forward David Pastrnak, but he was out of position when Pastrnak scored the overtime goal that knocked Toronto out after a bad bounce off the boards.

With the new season coming, Mitch Marner doesn't seem too fazed with his situation regarding the contract. It would now seem that getting in some solid reps against NHL elites has kept him sharp. As the Leafs go into a huge year, if Marner is in great form as one of the league's top playmakers when training camp opens, this would be a huge asset.

Source:
Leafslatest on X

Source: ESPN
Nathan MacKinnon Stats

Source: Hockey-Reference
Mitch Marner Stats