“Probably confidence and swag”: Team Canada HC compares ‘elite’ Mitch Marner’s game now to 2017

Jon Cooper, head coach of Team Canada and the Tampa Bay Lightning, discussed Mitch Marner's growth in the league. Marner is one of the 13 forwards selected for the Team Canada roster in the 4 Nations' faceoff scheduled for February.

Marner will play alongside stars like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard. The other three nations are the USA, Finland and Sweden.

Cooper, who coached Marner in 2017, said the forward now plays with more confidence and purpose.

“Probably confidence and swag. He’s always had it, but you see it in how he plays." Cooper said on Saturday (via Sportsnet's Luke Fox). "You know I’m a massive Mitch Marner fan, being able to coach him in 2017."

Cooper added that Marner has always had great skill, but now he shows it more on the ice.

"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."

This season, Marner is playing well for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marner scored an unassisted power-play goal in the Leafs' 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. He has been Toronto's best player offensively, with five goals and four assists in a five-game point streak.

Marner has been held scoreless only once in November and has had seven multi-point games. He leads the team with nine goals, 20 assists and a +4 rating in 22 games.

The Maple Leafs are doing well in the standings. Before losing to Florida, the Leafs were in first place in the Atlantic Division. They've won seven of their last nine games without captain Auston Matthews. The team has beaten strong opponents like the Oilers, Capitals and Golden Knights during Matthews' absence.

Is Mitch Marner's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs in doubt?

Mitch Marner's future with the Toronto Maple Leafs was uncertain after his performance in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. Fans were frustrated after he had only three points in seven games, which led to trade talks. But things have changed for now after Marner's good start to the 2024-25 season. Marner is in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent in 2025.

Marner could get a big contract next year, with some predicting he could earn $13-14 million annually. However, insider Nick Kypreos believes Marner might focus on more than just money.

“I’m not so sure that Mitch Marner is in a race to go and get a contract right now,” Kypreos said (via Real Kyper and Bourne).

“If Marner really wants to stay and can manage the noise around him, he can sign a contract tomorrow. ... But if he finds the toxicity within Leafs Nation..., he will walk away on July 1,” Kypreos wrote on Toronto Star.

Marner will have to decide if he wants to deal with the pressure of playing in Toronto or take his career elsewhere.