Despite the disparity in team success, there is no doubt that these two can hang with each other on the ice. In fact, the two were training together throughout the summer in Vail. It was here where MacKinnon was able to get a real sense of who Marner is and what he is capable of.
Having said that, MacKinnon is the perfect person to judge Marner and his talents. According to the Hockey News, MacKinnon actually had some great things to say about the Maple Leafs star. In fact, MacKinnon believes the criticism against Marner is unfair and that he should be seen as a top star in the entire NHL.
During the Maple Leafs playoff run, Marner was not great. He got down on himself a lot and some argued he just does not have the heart of a warrior. Although this year, he has a chance to change the narrative. For now, it seems like MacKinnon believes he has the ability to do just that.