Toronto Maple Leafs’ winger Mitchell Marner emerged as one of his team’s biggest offensive weapons in recent years. Still, it seems like the 23-year-old Canadian wants to make a difference on the other side of the ice as well.
In a recent appearance on Connor Carrick Podcast, Marner said that one of his goals is to win Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is given to the NHL forward “who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game.”
“The award that I think would be really cool to win and be acknowledged for is the Selke,” said Marner. “The names that are always in the Selke are guys that everyone is scared of on the ice. The guys that you know you’re going to play against them, and it’s going to [stink].”
While it is admirable that Marner wants to win this prestigious trophy, the odds are stacked against him. Frank J. Selke Trophy, voted by Professional Hockey Writers Association, has been usually reserved for centers, who won it last 15 times. The last winger that got the honors was Dallas Stars’ Jere Lehtinen in 2002/03 season, while only three other non-centers got to claim it since its inception in 1977.
Mitchell Marner stepped up his defense this season, especially during penalty kills, but it’s safe to say that he still helps his team the most when he’s attacking the opponent. Manner was doing plenty of that this season and currently sits at 16 goals and 51 assists for a total of 67 points. This not only helped Toronto remain in the playoff spot but also got him his first All-Star call-up.
