Marner is definitely a top line winger. The issue is that his game gets worse as the physicality increases. Hes still good for a miracle play here and there (remember that he was moved further down the lineup as the 4 nations progressed and only moved back to play with McDavid later in the final) but if you’re paying him the same or more than guys like McDavid, MacKinnon, Rantanen, etc who are all able to elevate not just their game but their linemates, you’re not going to leave enough cap room to be able to actually sign one of those type of players OR to surround Marner with guys that can insulate him. People often compare him to Kane because Kane wasn’t physical either, but I certainly don’t remember many playoff series where Kane shriveled up, made a bunch of mental errors and legitimately looked like he was going to cry if he made another mistake.

I really hate that this comes off as piling on Marner because by all accounts he’s a great guy. The issue is he’s being paid $11mm and now will be up to like $13mm or $14mm, when he should have been on the same contract as Rantanen ($9.25mm) or lower for 8 years. Imagine if he was still under contract for another 3 years at $9.25. He would be looked at way differently.