Nearly two years ago, the Leafs lost leverage in the Mitch Marner contract situation and set the stage for Mikko Rantanen deadline talks.

Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs remains uncertain, even more so following the developments taking place from Friday through Sunday's impromptu press conference by general manager Brad Treliving.

Mitch Marner has been groomed for the hockey spotlight for most of his life. The 27-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs sniper has recently seized the opportunity to elevate his game from solid and above-average to being mentioned alongside the best in the NHL.

With a lot of questions surrounding Mitch Marner's future with the Maple Leafs, a lot of it comes down to doing the one thing that's eluded him his whole career.

Mitch Marner scored the deciding goal in the shootout and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Utah Hockey Club 4-3

Mitch Marner lifts Toronto to victory with the deciding goal in a shootout vs. Utah.