Mitch Marner to Receive Unforeseen & Unprecedented Assignment Against the Canadiens
The Toronto Maple Leafs are shorthanded against the Montreal Canadiens and it seems like Mitch Marner is being tasked with coming to the rescue.
Tonight will be a difficult one for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they are down two defenseman against the Montreal Canadiens and thus must play with five D-men.
They weren't able to get an emergency call-up in time, which means the Leafs are in a pretty bad spot against a rival who is determined to come out and win themselves a playoff spot.
Having said that, five defenseman isn't ideal and it is unlikely that Craig Berube will double shift guys more than he needs to.
Mitch Marner to play defense?
As a result, head coach Craig Berube might be forced to play some of his forwards on defense. Some of the guys who might be enlisted for this are Steven Lorentz, Scott Laughton, and Mitch Marner.
According to Luke Fox of Sportsnet, the most likely option is actually Mitch Marner.
Steven Lorentz names himself, Scott Laughton, and Mitch Marner as forwards who have played some defence in the past. Laughton played a game in junior once.
"That was a long time ago," Berube smiles.
Marner is the best bet to take some D shifts tonight with Toronto down to five.
"That was a long time ago," Berube smiles.
Marner is the best bet to take some D shifts tonight with Toronto down to five.
Marner's abilities on the penalty kill are certainly the big reason why Craig Berube would go with this option. However, it is still not ideal.
The Leafs are hoping that Oliver Ekman-Larsson can come back on Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes, but if he can't then the Leafs are in some trouble.
Jake McCabe is out all weekend and with the playoffs on the horizon, these are injuries are certainly starting to take their toll on the roster.
Only time will tell whether or not the Leafs can get over all of this and prove to the rest of the league that they are still a real Cup contender.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 12 | 219 ANSWERS Mitch Marner to Receive Unforeseen & Unprecedented Assignment Against the Canadiens Do you believe Mitch Marner will thrive on defense for the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 152 | 69.4 % |
| NO | 67 | 30.6 % |
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