Naturally, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was thrilled that Mitch Marner excelled for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“Mitch had his hands all over the success they had,” Treliving told media in Pittsburgh on Saturday. “We know how good Mitch is, so I think being able to come through that on a positive note serves him and us well.”
Indeed. If Marner can translate that success into the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Leafs’ chances of going on a deep run would rise sharply.
After scoring in overtime against Sweden, Marner set up two Canada goals against the United States in the 4 Nations title game last month, first feeding Sam Bennett before finding Connor McDavid for the overtime winner in Boston.
“Mitch comes out on the right side of it, so good for him,” Treliving said. “Anytime you can have a great experience, just being around that environment, picking up things, watching how people prepare and go about their business, any time you can be around greatness, I think it’s a positive.
“I think all our guys (including Auston Matthews for the U.S. and William Nylander for Sweden) played really well. I think they were terrific. In that tournament, it’s hard to stand out. You’re talking about the very best in the world that are available to play in it.”
As for Marner and John Tavares and contract extensions for either, is it a priority for Treliving to have them extended before the NHL trade deadline on Friday?
“You would like to have certainty,” Treliving said. “It’s like everything else. We’ll see how those things progress over time. You always like to get things done, but at present they’re not, we’ll see where those go.”