Mitch Marner: 2015 NHL Top Prospect

Mitch Marner —

Winnipeg Hockey Talk’s evaluations of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft top prospects continue today with our featured prospect Mitch Marner. 

League:  OHL     Team:  London Knights

Position:  C/RW       Shoots:  Right

DOB:  May 5, 1997     Birthplace:  Markham, Ontario

Height: 5’11     Weight:  165

Regular season:

2014-15  OHL —  Games: 63   G: 44   A: 82  Pts: 126  PIM: 53   Plus/Minus: +36

Playoffs:

2014-15  OHL —  Games: 7   G: 9   A: 7  Pts:  16  PIM: 8   Plus/Minus: +6  

Mitch Marner played this past season in the Ontario Hockey League for the London Knights.

Achievements:  

1.  Selected in the 1st round, 19th overall in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection Draft.

2.  Represented Ontario at the World U17 Tournament in January, 2014.

3.  Won a gold medal with Canada in the 2014 U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

4.  Represented the Ontario Hockey League at the Subway Super Series in November, 2014.

5.  Represented Team Cherry at the CHL Top Prospects game on January 22, 2015.

6.  Finished this season second in OHL scoring and was the London Knights leading scorer.

Offensive Buzzwords

Mitch Marner is an extremely highly skilled winger with all the tools to be a big-time NHLer.  His offensive game is outstanding.  He can create off the rush, he has very good vision, great hands, and he has the ability to make everyone around him better.  He has a very good shot with a very sneaky quick release and he loves to shoot the puck even though he is considered more of a play-maker.  Like most elite players his on-ice vision, hockey sense, and compete levels are very high.  

Skating

Marner is a very good skater, with good speed and outstanding agility.  He has the ability to use his speed to create opportunities off the rush and at high-speed.  Although I hate making comparisons I must admit when you watch Mitch Marner play the first thing that pops into your head is that he looks a lot like Patrick Kane.  Yes I said it but then again so did he.  

Mitch Marner video: 1:38 

  

Defensive Buzzwords

No worries here!  Marner plays a 200 foot game.  He blocks shots, he kills penalties and even though he is only 165 pounds he grinds in the corners and tough areas on the ice.  There are no worries about Mitch Marner’s compete level

Prospect Analysis 

Like all young prospects he needs to bulk up a little bit but his size isn’t a major factor as he competes and plays bigger than his size.  I believe that Mitch Marner projects as a first line forward that will be a mainstay on the PP.  He has been ranked as high as #3 and as low as #9 but I like Mitch Marner at #3.  

With all due respect to Jack Eichel, I’m not totally convinced the team that drafts Marner might not be getting the second best player in this draft.  That’s a pretty bold statement but he is that good.  We’ll see.

Projected:  3rd overall pick.     

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