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In hopes of making the Leafs, Marner’s offseason goal is to ‘put on weight and add strength’

2015 NHL Draft - Round One

SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: Head coach Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs talks with Mitchell Marner after being selected fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Mitch Marner is currently listed at 163 pounds. Before the start of next season, he wants to get to 170, in hopes the added muscle will give him the best chance to make the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“I want to make sure I feel comfortable enough to go out against men and play hard, and make sure I can go out there and do the things that I like to do,” said Marner, per the Waterloo Record. “They want me at a weight where I can stay in the NHL. It depends on how hard I work this summer, and how much I eat. That’s my goal, put on weight and add strength.”

Marner, who piled up 160 points in 75 games for the Memorial Cup-winning London Knights last season, just turned 19 in May, so he cannot be sent to the AHL next season. While there’s been speculation he could play a year of pro in Europe, he shot that idea down, saying if the Leafs don’t feel he’s ready, London would be “a place I’d look forward to going back to.”

For the record, Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau is listed at 157 pounds, making him the lightest player in the NHL.

Related: Mitch Marner picked a great time to be an undersized prospect