Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky and Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour are sitting in a press conference before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. The two figures are answering questions about everything, ranging from their feelings to Mitch Marner. Tulsky doesn't answer the question because the Canadian Olympian is, well, under contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. However, Brind'Amour is more than happy to answer that question.
"I can answer that one, what don't you like about him?"Rod Brind'Amour
In case you don't know, the question concerned the Hurricanes trying to acquire Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. That didn't go well for them as they watched the "Core Four" member stay in Toronto. However, he was traded to the Golden Knights last summer for Nicolas Roy, signing an eight-year, $12 million AAV contract in the process.
In return, Marner has taken over the Stanley Cup playoffs. He currently leads the NHL in points scored and you can probably guess how many he has.
Sounds appropriate. It's always good to have an answer ready for such scenarios. It shows how important Marner is to the Golden Knights (and I'm sure that Brind'Amour agrees).
Mitch Marner's playoff performance proves that he deserves praise from Rod Brind'Amour—and much more
Leading the NHL in points scored (21, waka waka) is something to be proud of. The Golden Knights winger has shown that he doesn't have any playoff jitters, going above and beyond the call to lead the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final.
Therefore, it shouldn't surprise people that Marner is receiving so much praise from his peers during the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's coming from opposing head coaches, from his own head coach, and from his teammates. Everyone is noticing that the Canadian Olympian is breaking out and that's bad news for the rest of the NHL.
That could lead to the Conn Smythe trophy—regardless of whether the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup or not. The former "Core Four" member has done excellent work in generating offense, helping out teammates such as Mark Stone and Brett Howden.
Who knows? Maybe he gets those accolades and shows everyone why he's one of the best players in the world. He's heard all the rumblings during the regular season, diminishing his very abilities. A massive Stanley Cup Final showing could prove that Brind'Amour and the other positive voices were right all along.
Add us as a preferred source on Google