He's one of the key pieces for the Toronto Maple Leafs and is known mostly for his goal scoring prowess, but could he be in line to capture the NHL's award for the best defensive forward?
The perennial winner of the Selke Trophy is now-former Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, who won the award a staggering six times in his career which officially came to an end late last month as he announced his retirement from the NHL. And according to one hockey writer, Leafs forward Mitch Marner could be next in line to hear his name announced as the Selke winner in 2024.
Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News has included Marner in a list of five possibilities to succeed Bergeron as the Selke winner. He writes:
"While it’s been 20 years since a winger won the Selke Trophy (Jere Lehtinen in 2003), there’s no better candidate than Mitch Marner to break that streak. Marner is a true two-way ace who finished one point shy of 100 last season. For starters, he’s an elite playmaker.
Since breaking into the league during the 2016-17 season, only Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Artemi Panarin have recorded more assists than Marner’s 386 career helpers. Last season, Marner generated the second most 5-on-5 scoring chance assists per 60 minutes (6.98) of any forward, per All Three Zones."
Is Mitch Marner going to be your next Selke Trophy winner?
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