Mitch Marner's Agent Is Unhappy With The Minutes Craig Berube Is Playing Him
Mitch Marner of the Leafs is going to be a UFA after this season, and things haven't started off great this year with his agent upset at his overuse by Craig Berube.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to get through a crucial season with a new head coach in Craig Berube. One of the bigger storylines all season long has been the increased role of Mitch Marner, who many projected would be overextended due to his performance and ice time so far. Assuming a far larger workload, Marner has been substantial, placing him as a central piece of the early Leafs' success.
Marner leads the Leafs in points, outpacing other forwards in both points and minutes on the ice. Averaging over 21 minutes per game, Marner leads all forwards in ice time, with Auston Matthews coming in a full minute and a half in his rearview. The number is a testament to how crucial Marner is to his squad but begs the question of how much longer he can sustain this type of workload.
Marner's camp has come out and made clear concern about the heavy ice time usage of the right-winger, which bordered on unprecedented after playing more than 22 minutes in four of the first 10 games, including a season-high 26 minutes and 12 seconds against Boston last weekend. That usage has sparked discussion about weighing the value of Marner's contributions against the potential risks of overuse. The added concern was first noted by TSN's Darren Dreger on Insider Trading, suggesting the camp may be pushing to make some changes for longevity in Marner's health and effectiveness.
Head coach Berube spoke recently about the situation, acknowledging the challenge of managing Marner's ice time. He spoke about how Marner can serve both in power-play situations and as an efficient penalty killer, which makes it easy to fall into using him in a variety of situations. He copped to leaning on Marner too much in crucial moments, such as last Saturday's game, and that he plans on pacing him a lot better going forward. That change seems further corroborated by forward William Nylander, who claimed he wants more minutes, including work on the penalty kill.
On a contract year, Mitch Marner may well benefit from the increased playing time as it will drive up his stats and his market value. But his agents' caution likely reflects the risk of injury, which would impact his negotiating power adversely. With both the team and Marner's camp aware of what is on the line, how Craig Berube juggles the ice time for Marner could prove vital as it pertains to both player health and team performance. The adjustments he will make, whether positive or otherwise, will be carefully watched all season long, as Leafs fans are equally eager to see how this managing of Marner's role will affect his production and the overall trajectory of the team.
