Coach Sheldon Keefe will experiment with Marner as a situational defenseman, reports the Toronto Star.

EDGE Analysis

It will be an occasional deployment because of Marner's excellent skating and his status as one of the NHL's best penalty killers, and it would come when the Leafs are trying to pin their opponents in their own end or rattle them with a four-forward, one-defender alignment. "I'm open to all opportunities and whatever (coach Sheldon Keefe is) thinking." said Marner, who already works on skating backwards to improve transitions on the power play. It remains to be seen if Marner will get enough time on the blue line to earn a fantasy designation there. If so, his value would escalate even more and bring back memories of Brent Burns' transition to the blue line.