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Toronto Maple Leafs Select Mitch Marner Fourth Overall in 2015 NHL Draft

By Chris Okrainetz

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Toronto Maple Leafs Select Mitch Marner Fourth Overall in 2015 NHL Draft

After months of speculation, the Toronto Maple Leafs brain trust decided to select London Knights forward Mitch Marner with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft.

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With ties to director of player personnel Mark Hunter, and newly hired amateur scout Lindsay Hofford, Marner is somebody who the Leafs are familiar with. The crafty winger — and sometimes centre — is the exact kind of skill player the Maple Leafs said they were after in this draft.

This past season in London, Marner’s two points per game pace ranked second in the CHL, trailing behind only the next face of hockey, Connor McDavid.

A hometown kid from Markham, ON, Marner is a superb puck handler and elite playmaker that should fit in well with top prospect William Nylander. Both players are blue chip prospects that will spearhead the Leafs’ rebuild and transition towards a more skillful roster.

Prior to the draft, both our own David Morassutti and Andrew Millichamp had the Leafs selecting Marner fourth overall in their 2015 Tip of the Tower mock drafts. Here’s what both of them had to say about Marner:

"“If picking based on solely on talent then the Leafs should take Marner, because he is one of the most skilled players in the draft, behind McDavid and Eichel. He was three points shy of the OHL scoring lead, and has drawn comparisons to Patrick Kane and former Leaf Doug Gilmour.It would be wise for Toronto to bolster their top six with as much talent as possible and if Marner can continue to bulk up, he will be a vital part of the Leafs foundation for years to come.”– David Morassutti“The connection Mitch Marner has to his former London Knights’ coach and owner and current Maple Leafs director of player personnel, Mark Hunter, is very strong and Marner fits everything the Leafs are looking for in terms of high upside dynamic players. If Nylander does become a centre, the thought of him and Marner together in the future will be too appetizing to ignore.”– Andrew Millichamp"

After Dylan Strome was selected by the Arizona Coyotes at No. 3 overall, the Leafs decision came down to either Mitch Marner or Noah Hanifin. By the early looks of thing on Twitter, Leafs’ fans look to be pleased with the selection of Marner.

What do you think Leafs’ fans? Do you like the selection of Mitch Marner at No. 4 overall? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Next: Maple Leafs: 10 Storylines Heading into the Draft and Offseason

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