In contract season, Maple Leafs’ Marner getting it done on the ice

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A year ago, it was assumed that the pressure of playing in a contract year easily would roll off William Nylander’s shoulders.

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That’s how it played out during the first several months of the 2023-24 regular season for the Maple Leafs winger, as Nylander was leading the team in scoring with 54 points in 37 games when he signed an eight-year extension on Jan. 8.

By the time the season ended, Nylander set a career-high with 98 points and tied his career-high with 40 goals.

In 2024-25, it’s Mitch Marner who has ably parked any potential contract distraction to the side.

With a team-high 22 points in 18 games, Marner is on pace for exactly 100 points, which would mark his first century-mark season in the National Hockey League.

We know that a substantial payday awaits Marner, either with the Leafs before he would hit free agency on July 1 or with another team afterward.

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With that rather significant issue in the background (for now), the 27-year-old has nicely gone about his usual business as the Leafs get accustomed to new coach Craig Berube. Marner’s attention to production detail has been required as captain Auston Matthews recovers from an upper-body injury.

After Marner’s eight-game point streak ended on Tuesday when the Leafs were shut out by the Ottawa Senators, he was right back at it in Washington on Wednesday night, assisting on John Tavares’ overtime winner after Marner scored the tying goal in the final minute of third period. It was Marner’s eighth multi-point game through the first five weeks.

Marner was 12th in NHL scoring prior to games on Thursday. His next goal will be his 200th in the NHL, and he is six games short of 600 for his career.

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As his hockey future remains to be determined, Marner is holding up his end and more for the Leafs now.

BOBBY’S SHOOTING GALLERY

When Bobby McMann scored off a fine pass from Tavares against the Capitals to end a 13-game goalless drought, the Leafs winger came by it honestly.

McMann recorded a team-high eight shots on goal, a career-best in his 83 NHL games. The night before, McMann’s six shots on goal were the most by any Leafs player in the 3-0 loss against Ottawa.

“It’s a good feeling,” McMann told media in Washington after scoring for the first time since Oct. 16, when he had two goals against the Los Angeles Kings.

“Little bit of relief, and excitement as well because you feel like when you get one, more will come.”

Playing with Tavares and Marner helped. In 14 minutes of five-on-five play when the trio was on the ice, the Leafs outshot the Capitals 9-2.

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“It was a great opportunity to play with those guys,” McMann said. “They were making plays all night, setting me up. Would have liked to have converted on more, but happy about getting chances.”

ROBERTSON RUT

Winger Nick Robertson can’t say he has not been given a fair shake in Berube’s first season behind the Toronto bench.

There’s nothing positive for Robertson to glean from the fact he was a healthy scratch in Washington. Recalled a day earlier from the Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis, Alex Steeves played against the Capitals as Robertson watched from the press box for the third time in the Leafs’ first 18 games.

Being scratched might have been a little more palatable for Robertson had the Leafs been fully healthy at forward. The benching came, though, with captain Auston Matthews and Max Pacioretty nursing injuries.

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Robertson is averaging 12 minutes 15 seconds of ice time in his 15 games. His highest average under Sheldon Keefe was 11 minutes 23 seconds, which came last season when Robertson scored 14 goals in 56 games.

The bump in ice time hasn’t resulted in more production on the part of Robertson, whose lone goal came on Oct. 22. It had no outcome on the game, as it came with seven minutes remaining in an eventual 6-2 Leafs loss against the Blue Jackets in Columbus.

With 21 shots on goal, Robertson is on a 114-shot pace in 82 games.  A year ago, he was on a 141-shot pace over 82 games.

His shooting percentage is 4.8%; last season, he finished at 14.6%.

It’s going to be intriguing to see whether Leafs general manager Brad Treliving ultimately decides that a change of scenery is best for Robertson. After looking for a trade out of Toronto during the offseason, Robertson hasn’t done himself any favours with his struggle to produce.

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LOOSE LEAFS

The Leafs are in a good spot with their defence corps, and unless there are several injuries, it shouldn’t be an area of concentration for Treliving once we get closer to the trade deadline on March 7. With Jani Hakanpaa making his season debut against the Capitals, the dependable Simon Benoit was scratched. Benoit might not be happy about it, but it’s a good problem for Berube to have — too many NHL defencemen for six spots. “I thought he was fine,” Berube said of Hakanpaa’s first game with Toronto. “Maybe a little tired in the third, later on. But he played pretty solid all around.” … After a day off on Thursday, the Leafs will practise on Friday to prepare for playing host to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Toronto is heading into a quiet span in its schedule, with just three games in 13 days, and all at home. After a trip to Florida and Tampa Bay to end the month of November, the Leafs will buckle down for 12 games in 23 days in December before the NHL-mandated three-day Christmas break Dec. 24-26.

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