NHL analyst makes his opinion on $65,408,000 Maple Leafs winger crystal clear amid Auston Matthews absence

NHL: OCT 31 Kraken at Maple Leafs - Source: Getty

The Toronto Maple Leafs have improbably weathered the loss of Auston Matthews. Still, without a clear timetable, the captain has missed six games thus far. In those six games, the Leafs are 5-1.

According to Elliotte Friedman, a big reason for this is Mitch Marner. The $65.4 million man has been playing very well during this period for Toronto, and it's helping the team win without Matthews.