It's no secret that Mitch Marner's one of the best players in the NHL. The Vegas Golden Knights winger has 12 goals and 40 assists this season, marking a return to the ol' superstar play that hockey fans have known and loved (well, most hockey fans).
That's why he earned Olympic honors for the 2026 iteration, sending him off to Milan. The country? Team Canada, as the world will watch the Markham native shine bright. Imagine the winger in transition with superstars like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, wreaking havoc on opposing countries.
But there's much more to the 28-year-old's game than merely being great. He can wow hockey fans globally and silence the critics once and for all. How, you ask?
How can a man who's impressed so many people with his talents do more? Is there anything else (aside from winning the Stanley Cup) that he can do to keep his critics quiet? Why yes, dear reader, there is. In fact, he can fetch a gold medal before he gets the Stanley Cup if he does a few things.
What else is there for Mitch Marner to do at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
For starters, Marner can shoot the puck more. While he's one of four Golden Knights with 100 or more shots this season (Marner has 102 entering Thursday), fans have gotten on him for not taking more shots. Fans have taken notice and started clamoring for the forward to take the initiative.
It's a similar problem that Mark Stone has, for he's only taken 87 shots entering Thursday. Sometimes, that extra pass isn't needed when you're attacking the net. That can lead to terrible events, such as a turnover or even... the other team scoring.
So why not take the initiative and shoot more, especially with a load of solid puck-movers on Team Canada? While he's at it, he can also move in those scoring positions and hit the mark for Team Canada. That includes crashing the net and catching the weak side or shooting from the point and getting a deflection.
That will go a long way in assuring that fans see a different side of Marner. That has also been a common criticism of the winger since stepping into Vegas. He hasn't done enough on the attack to help his team, leaving them high and dry in certain situations.
Marner can become a new man at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The good news? Marner doesn't need to take 200 more offensive zone faceoffs at the Winter Olympics. I don't know if the world's ready for that type of action yet, even if Toronto demands it.
Still, Marner has the whole world watching him now. They want to see if he'll fold under the pressure or if he'll rise like the proverbial phoenix (not from Arizona). Golden Knights fans will hope for the latter, especially after what happened in last season's 4 Nations Face-Off.
Don't forget that Marner was the man who set up the tournament-clinching goal during last season's festivities. He has a chance to silence the critics further about not coming up big under the bright lights. What better way to do that than in Milan with a gold medal on the line?