Maple Leafs Facing Major Dilemma with Mitch Marner as Playoffs Approach

It's been quite the season not only for the Maple Leafs, who made Craig Berube the winningest debut coach in franchise history but also for Mitch Marner. Coming into a contract year where he was looking to earn a mega deal this summer he's been the team's best player, doing it all and firmly cementing himself as team MVP this year.

While the questions around Marner's contract and future status still loom heavy over the Leafs, they have some hockey to finish before they get into the playoffs, so they need to make sure Marner is well rested come postseason time, because the team cannot afford any injuries to him whatsoever.

In doing so, they could be alienating not only their superstar forward, but a lot of fans who have been following the 2024-25 season.

Marner currently sits at 99 points on the season with two games left. Two games mind you, that he certainly does not need to play and shouldn't be gambled on for the sake of a personal stat.

But come on. It feels like the one thing that Marner has not been able to do so far in his career (minus winning a Cup or MVP) and twice has come close with 97 points in 2021-22 and 99 points in 2022-23 but couldn't hit triple digits.

If he were to play the next two games, or even one of them, then he would have little trouble scoring given it's against Buffalo and Detroit; two of the Atlantic's worst teams; though the risk of him getting injured is still very high compared to him just missing the game completely, so it's a tough bet to make.

Marner wants to hit that total because it means that he's capable of hitting that elite number, and with that comes a bump in an already insanely lucrative next deal; wherever that may be so if the team sits him...he could think they are trying to do him a bit dirty.

His 99 points in 76 games (26G, 73A) is 15 points ahead of the next player on Toronto (William Nylander with 84) and saw him set a career high in assists and also a career low with only 14 PIM; he's going to be in contention for the Lady Byng Trophy no doubt.

Personally, Marner has been so good and deserves a chance to make history with his 100 point achievement.

Toronto can easily just give him a lesser role and not need to put him out there for 20 minutes; let him run the PP and every other shift (swapping with Bobby McMann or even Max Domi) and give him the chance.

If you're not going to let him break that number as a member of the Maple Leafs, you can bet your bottom dollar that he'll do it with another team, and make Toronto's choice even more embarrassing in hindsight.