Player’s perspective

This offseason was a big one for Mats Marner in his draft season for the SHL, a lot of SHL teams had high hopes for Marner and he was one of the fastest rising prospects eventually being selected sixth overall by the Calgary Dragons. While Marner was selected quite high, Calgary management made it clear that they wanted Mats to spend another three seasons in the SMJHL juniors developing his game. Management has asked him to develop his two way game as they project him fitting into the Dragon’s third line center role a couple years down the road as a rookie.

On the other, this season back down in the SMJHL Mats Marner is set to have a much more expanded role on the team and a big promotion going from being the fourth line center last year to now anchoring the team’s firs line this season. The Newfoundland coaches have asked Mats to continuing improving his faceoff abilities, as well as, developing his game offensively as a screener to compliment some highly talented wingers. He will be expected to work in the dirty areas in the offensive zone in front of the net, going hard on the fore check and retrieving pucks in the corner while being defensively responsible and back checking hard. Time will tell if Mats Marner can live up to this new role.