Mitch Marner is one of the best two-way forwards in hockey.
Man, that sounds like something the Toronto Maple Leafs could really use right now.
But instead, Marner is playing for the Vegas Golden Knights. He made it clear he wouldn't be signing back with Toronto in free agency, so they executed a sign-and-trade to send Marner to Vegas at the end of June.
With the Golden Knights, Marner has an eight-year deal worth $112 million.
And the Maple Leafs definitely miss him.
Toronto lost 5-3 on Tuesday night to fall to 8-8-1 on the season, but even more telling than that is one statistic.
The Maple Leafs have now allowed 65 goals this season. That's the most given up by any team in the Eastern Conference.
And as much as Marner was a skilled forward, he was also a great defender from his wing spot. He provided a lot of value at that end of the ice, and Toronto doesn't have that right now.
Marner was such a good defensive player that in a game where the Maple Leafs lost a defenseman to injury, Marner played shifts on defense to help close the contest out.
That's the kind of mentality Toronto could use right now, but the Leafs clearly don't have it.
Sometimes, it's the type of mindset that is contagious, too. And without Marner around to positively infect his teammates, maybe it goes lacking.
There's no way to know for sure how different this season would feel so far for Toronto if it still had Marner. But it sure seems like it'd look quite different.
MORE: You have to see this astonishing Connor McDavid goal