Mitch Marner has been sneakily good in season's first ten games

The straw that stirs the Toronto Maple Leafs is Mitch Marner - when he's on, when his energy is high and he's playing well, the Leafs are a different team.

In each victory this season, the common denominator has been Mitch Marner having a solid game. And if the power-play was going, the Toronto Maple Leafs might have the best record in the NHL.

Keep in mind that they are 5-4-1 but they are doing it without a power-play, and without much production from Auston Matthews. Both of those things are not really problems - they are both guaranteed to turn themselves around eventually. The power-play is getting some great looks, and Auston Matthews is as good as ever.

But I think a long summer of being unsigned and scapegoated by a small group of loud Leafs fans has motivated Marner to new heights. His on-ice numbers this year are better than ever, and he's leading the team with 11 points.

The amazing part about this is that those points have come despite the power-play's lack of success and Auston Matthew's hilarious and (unlucky) current shooting percentage.

Mitch Marner is going to have a career year

One reason we know that the Leafs record should be better than it is, is because despite absolute 5v5 domination, the Leafs are even in goals when Marner has been on the ice.

When Marner plays, the Leafs have gotten 56% of the puck-possession, 54% of the shots, 64% of the scoring chances, 67% of the dangerous chances, and 58% of the expected goals.

In almost every one of those stats, he's equal to or blowing away his best ever numbers.

Marner has just one goal, but he's shooting just 5% at 5v5 and under 4% in all situations. He is shooting the puck alot too, ranking 50th in the NHL in 5v5 shots per 60 minutes (all players with 100 minutes or more).

Think about this: Marner is on a 90 points pace with a 3% shooting percentage and Auston Matthews shooting around half of his normal shooting percentage. That is crazy. When things normalize, he's likely going to challange for the scoring title.

The Leafs need to sign him immediately, otherwise he's going to be making his espresso for a different team and the Leafs will get much, much worse. There really is no option to trade him or let him walk. He's earned a new contract and it's going to be exactly halfway between what Matthews and Nylander make. (stats naturalstattrick.com).

The point here is that, despite the nearly inconceivable convictions of a small portion of the fanbase, Mitch Marner is not only a franchise player who is worth every dollar he is paid, but he is a top ten player in the NHL and seems primed for the best season of his career.