A few days ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner has earned high praise from the best player in the world. Connor McDavid, who says he’s never played with Marner at any level, hinted he wants Marner on his line at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
In a recent column for the Toronto Star, Nick Kypreos noted:
“It must feel good for Mitch Marner to hear that Connor McDavid made it clear to Team Canada he wants the Leafs star on his line at the 4 Nations Face-Off.”
source – ‘Opinion | Maple Leafs have unique opportunity at 4 Nations Face-Off. McDavid wanting to play with Marner is part of it’ – Nick Kypreos – Toronto Star – 02/06/2025
As for why, McDavid’s reasoning makes some sense.
McDavid Compares Marner to Draisaitl
While talking to the media about his excitement for the tournament, McDavid said he was pumped about playing with Sidney Crosby (which might be up in the air now) and was then asked about Marner. McDavid was excited about that, too, and compared Marner’s style of play to that of his good friend and longtime Edmonton Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl.
“A guy that I’ve never played with before at any level, so I’m excited about that,” McDavid said. “Reminds me a little bit of Leo [Draisaitl], he can slow the game down when he has to, and I like playing with guys like that.”
This comparison is particularly notable, as Draisaitl has been McDavid’s most trusted linemate over the years, forming one of the NHL’s most dominant duos. Marner and Draisaitl don’t share similar physical attributes and Draisaitl is known as a shooter as much as a playmaker, but there are some similarities.
It’s not yet confirmed if McDavid and Marner are pegged to be on the same line, but if they are, and Marner can bring what McDavid is familiar with to Team Canada, the pair could make for a lethal combination.
Marner’s Role in the Tournament
Marner, a great player in his own right, must be excited about the opportunity to play with McDavid on an international stage. Marner proved this season that he can push a line and carry a team, but to have a center like McDavid should be intriguing to watch. This is no knock on Auston Matthews, but their games are quite different. What Marner can and will take away from that experience will only help him grow as a player.
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With McDavid openly pushing for Marner as a linemate, it will be interesting to see how they perform together. Both players are known for their elite playmaking ability. Who becomes the shooter of that pair will be a fascinating story to watch unfold. Neither rank in the top 25 this season. McDavid sits at 35th, and Marner is well below at 83rd.
McDavid spoke about the challenge of forming team chemistry in a short amount of time, but he is confident that familiarity among players will help speed up the process. These two don’t have it, which could pose another challenge.
“It’s only two, three days together,” McDavid noted when talking about introductions before they play. “Thankfully, I feel like a lot of guys in that room are pretty familiar with each other in a way. We’ve played against each other for a long time or played with each other either at Junior events or World Championships.” It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff takes that into consideration when building the lines.
Is Marner with McDavid the Best For Team Canada?
For Marner, McDavid’s comments are a huge vote of confidence and it should be seen as a testament to Marner’s standing as one of the top wingers in the game. If McDavid is intrigued by the idea, one has to assume the coaching staff will give it a look.
Either way, both players deserve to be there. “I think everybody that’s there is proud to represent the country,” McDavid said. “They picked a team with, you know, everybody available, and this is the roster they went with. There’s meaning in that.”
