Mitch Marner Stuns Leafs Nation with Intense Post-Whistle Punches During Scrum

A lot of criticism has been thrown at Mitch Marner over the years. Whether it's for an apparent lack of execution, perceived lack of motivation before the season, and him not playing to the level of a future supposed $12M a year player.

Marner also seems to get a lot of hate for his propensity to keep himself away from anything that could be physical, though he's often on the end of some rough physicality such as when Ryan Suter took a nasty cheap shot at Marner in front of the net.

Well, perhaps Craig Berube has been in his star playmaker's ear more and more recently, as Marner took exception to Minnesota's Joel Eriksson Ek after a whistle and decided to throw not one, but two shots at the forward before a big ol' scrum occurred:

Marner's new aggressiveness could be a huge factor in his next contract. If he can mold himself into a proto-Brad Marchand (without the additional pest behavior) where he's both an 80-90-point-a-year player but is willing to shove back and show that just because he's a bit small, doesn't mean weakness. While he only has five hits this season, he averages less than 50 a year; so if you don't start to see Marner throwing his weight around don't be surprised, but this new aggressiveness is a good sign.

It's a good sign for both the Maple Leafs and for Marner's future aspirations. It's more than unlikely that Toronto will keep the winger past this season. He's going to likely command upwards of $12M per season on a long-term deal, and with Toronto investing money elsewhere next season; Marner is going to get paid big-time. It's a good sign for the Maple Leafs that they can use their last bit of Marner with this new side to him as they push for a long playoff run; a revitalized Mitch Marner in the playoffs could be the key factor in winning the Cup.

It remains to be seen if this new Mitch Marner is here to stay or if he's just getting fed up with being pushed around. Whatever it is, it's a good sign for Marner and the Maple Leafs. An aggressive Marner is a motivated Marner, and this may have unlocked a new weapon in the star winger's arsenal.