Chris Tanev could bring a unique set of defensive skills to Team Canada, depending on the specific qualities the team prioritizes for the upcoming mid-season tournament. Mitch Marner is having a roaring start to the season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With nine goals and 24 assists in 24 games, the forward is on pace for a 112-point season, which would go down as the most productive season of his NHL career thus far. The 27-year-old isn't just producing offensively, though. Marner is also averaging the most ice time (21:34) among Maple Leafs players this year and is a massive piece of the team's special teams. "I think he can play in any situation at any time, right? He's probably done that for a long time now, so I mean, he's used to playing quite a bit," Maple Leafs defenseman, Chris Tanev, who averages 19:23 of ice time per game said on Wednesday morning. "I'm sure he's been the best player on his team for his whole life. But, just, any situation, any time, he's on the ice because he deserves to be on the ice and I think that's how good he is." Marner can play with almost anyone at any time. Even Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube had discussions earlier this season with the forward about playing center given all of Toronto's injuries. Since the 2019-20 season, Marner's ice time has never descended below 20 minutes per game. But when asked about his playing time on Wednesday morning, his teammates said they're not surprised by Marner's ability to play that much. ""Mitchy? No," Nick Robertson said with a smile. "I mean, he gets paid to play, right? I'm not surprised he leads in ice time." Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who averages the fourth-most ice time on the Maple Leafs, also isn't shocked. "If you look at him after a two-minute shift or whatever he gets stuck out there, it doesn't even faze him. He probably had a good summer and good training it seems like," a grinning Ekman-Larsson said. "But, like I said, I think he's playing a lot. He's playing PK, he's playing power play, kind of all situations, so I think that says a lot about him." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwppXiZ0FRY[/embed] Berube classified Marner as having a "great engine" on Wednesday morning when asked about the forward. "I don't see him get too gassed or losing too much energy very often," he added. Marner was third in Selke Trophy voting after the 2022-23 season. There are very few players in the NHL who can play in the amount of situations he can, all while maintaining stamina. Is there anyone Berube has coached who reminds him of Marner and the forward's ability to play that much during a game? "The only time that I could think that maybe it was Claude Giroux in Philly at some point. He might've led our team in ice time."
