After season after season of standard season success and playoff disappointment, many followers of the Toronto Maple Leafs have maintained a reserved disposition in the direction of the beginning of the upcoming 2024-25 season. It is smart — regardless of nevertheless a lot expertise has been on the roster, their playoff success (or lack thereof) speaks for itself. After a robust offseason, although, the Maple Leafs are poised to make a breakthrough on this regard. Listed here are three causes for sustaining a optimistic outlook in 2024-25:
1. A lot Improved Protection Corps
Let’s face it — the Maple Leafs’ defence corps hasn’t been all that nice lately. On the defensive entrance, issues have been kind of high quality, however they haven’t been in a position to muster up a lot of something outdoors of Morgan Rielly when it comes to transferring the puck up-ice. This offseason, although, normal supervisor (GM) Brad Treliving sought to alter that with the additions of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Tanev, although predominantly identified for his defensive play, is a sneakily underrated puck-mover. He isn’t a lot for factors, however his puck-retrieval capability in his personal finish speaks for itself when it comes to its significance in breaking out the opposite method. He’s fast to ship the puck to both his defence companion — who ought to be Rielly in 2024-25 — or a close-by ahead. In line with AllThreeZones, Tanev ranked within the 81st percentile for impartial zone shot makes an attempt, which means that he was fairly efficient in passing the puck within the impartial zone to gamers who would then be capable of get a shot off whereas on the frenzy. On the very least, he’s a serious puck-moving enchancment over the likes of TJ Brodie and Ilya Lyubushkin, Rielly’s two commonest defence companions final season. Rielly ought to be capable of do extra with the puck now that Tanev ought to be relieving a few of the stress off of him.
Shifting on to the opposite defensive addition, Ekman-Larsson is likely one of the most underrated puck-moving defencemen in your entire NHL. There was — and is — a little bit of a pushback on his four-year, $3.5 million common annual worth (AAV) contract contemplating his profession trajectory main as much as final season, however the reservations about his new deal come together with some false considerations that he gained’t be capable of replicate or come near the participant he was in 2023-24. Ekman-Larsson’s position final season because the Florida Panthers’ puck-mover on the third pairing was the right place for him as he was in a position to feast on weaker opponents. He ranked within the one hundredth percentile amongst defensemen for zone exit success price with the puck on his stick and within the 89th percentile for contributions to scoring probabilities. Along with that, he ranked sixteenth within the NHL amongst defencemen in offensive anticipated targets above alternative (xGAR). I wouldn’t count on that sort of success once more, however there’s no purpose to imagine he’ll fall off a cliff.
If something ought to deliver optimism to the minds of Maple Leafs followers main as much as the season opener, it’s this. Toronto hasn’t had an actual puck-moving defence corps in years. Rielly has all the time been there, however outdoors of him, there hasn’t been a lot to jot down dwelling about in that regard. Now, although, there are three strong transitional defensemen who ought to be capable of assist push the offence ahead and it ought to end in a greater offence throughout the board.
2. Potential Breakout Seasons
The Maple Leafs have lengthy struggled with depth scoring, quite a lot of which has to do with a scarcity of low cost, younger expertise to enhance their highly-paid star forwards. This season, although, issues are primed to alter. For one, Matthew Knies ought to be a staple within the group’s top-six after 2023-24 noticed the 21-year-old put up 15 targets and 35 complete factors throughout 80 video games whereas averaging lower than 14 minutes per sport. In an elevated position whereas presumably taking part in with the group’s prime abilities Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Knies is poised for a breakout marketing campaign. I wouldn’t be stunned to see the gritty winger skyrocket as much as 60 or extra factors.
With the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi, who signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in free company, there’s one other gap within the prime six {that a} potential breakout candidate can fill. As of proper now, Every day Faceoff has Bobby McMann penciled into that spot, however I believe he’s a greater match for the third line than top-six duties. As an alternative, I believe the Maple Leafs ought to pivot to giving that chance to Nick Robertson, who requested a commerce in late June after contract negotiations went nowhere. Given the radio silence and his lack of arbitration rights, Treliving is probably going sitting pat till Robertson realizes that there isn’t a path ahead that doesn’t contain taking part in for Toronto. He’s confirmed that he can deal with issues on the NHL stage — he was a near-half-point-per-game participant final season with 27 factors in 56 video games. On the very least, he might be aggressive for that second-line wing position and will be capable of surpass 40 factors in a full season if he doesn’t sit.
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Exterior of these two, there are a few wildcard gamers. For one, Maple Leafs’ prime prospect Easton Cowan in all probability deserves a take care of lighting up the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with 96 factors in 52 video games, breaking the London Knights’ file for longest level streak (34 video games). If Robertson doesn’t find yourself staying in Toronto, I may definitely see a world by which Cowan makes a push for a middle-six position within the massive leagues. His skillset doesn’t lend itself to bottom-line play, however his velocity and ability could possibly be a worthwhile addition to a group traditionally depleted of depth expertise.
On defence, there isn’t a lot to sit up for on this regard, however one other prime prospect in Topi Niemela may see NHL time if he both has an exceptional coaching camp or if somebody will get injured mid-season. I don’t assume he’ll be a daily within the lineup, however I might be remiss if he weren’t talked about right here.
3. Higher Goaltending
Final season, the goaltending held the Maple Leafs again from success for a lot of the season. Regardless of how good he could have been down the stretch, let’s not neglect that Ilya Samsonov spent extended time within the minor leagues after being waived and needing a “bodily and psychological reset.” Positive, they bought respectable stretches of netminding from potential 1A Joseph Woll and backup Martin Jones, however the bulk of the season was spent with shakiness between the pipes.
This season, although, with Woll and Anthony Stolarz in web, the Maple Leafs ought to be far more stabilized and constant. In Woll’s case, his solely situation has ever been his well being. When he’s unhurt, he’s a league-average-at-worst goalie who has put up a profession .912 save proportion (SV%) and singlehandedly dragged Toronto to Sport 7 towards the Boston Bruins after placing up an immaculate .964 SV% and 0.86 goals-against common (GAA) within the three video games he performed within the playoffs. If he can keep wholesome, there’s a strong 1A netminder within the Queen Metropolis for the following 4 seasons.
Then, there’s Stolarz, whose signing could have been Treliving’s finest transfer this offseason. With the reigning Cup champion Florida Panthers in 2023-24, he put collectively an astounding 2.03 GAA and .925 SV% in 27 video games. Each marks have been second within the NHL behind fellow backup Laurent Brossoit, who now performs for the Blackhawks. There’s no purpose to imagine he’s unable to have greater than that workload, so he’ll more than likely be beginning 30-35 video games if Woll stays wholesome. Between the 2 of them, there are excessive hopes that they are often probably the greatest goaltending tandems within the Atlantic Division, if not your entire league.
2024-25 Is It For the Core
Trying on the roster breakdown, this is likely to be the final season with the Maple Leafs core nonetheless absolutely intact. Half of the Core 4 is on an expiring contract (Marner and ex-captain John Tavares) and at the least one among them gained’t be re-signed after this season. For Tavares, this could possibly be the final hurrah when it comes to his Cup aspirations, as that is the strongest group on paper that he’s ever performed for. Let’s hope that the explanations for optimism heading into 2024-25 come to fruition and that Toronto can lastly break the dismal cycle that has been plaguing them within the postseason since 2002.
