Last Word on Hockey’s Puck Drop Previews are back for the 2024-25 season! As the regular season approaches, Last Word will preview each team’s current outlook and stories to watch for the upcoming year. We’ll also do our best to project how things will go for each team throughout the campaign. Today, we’re previewing the 2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs.
2024-25 Toronto Maple Leafs
2023-24 Season
This past season was a familiar one for Leafs fans. They were an excellent team during the regular season, finishing with a 46-26-10 record. They qualified for the playoffs, taking third place in the Atlantic Division, behind the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins for eight straight seasons. However, some members of the team had stellar seasons individually for the Maple Leafs.
Auston Matthews unsurprisingly led the team in scoring for goals and points. The newly appointed captain set a new franchise record for goals in a season with 69, so close to reaching the 70 mark. The record was previously held by Matthews when he scored 60 goals in the 2021-22 season. He won his third career Rocket Richard Trophy. Also, he finished third in Selke voting for best defensive forward, the highest he’s ever been ranked for that award.
William Nylander also had a career year with the Maple Leafs last season. In a contract year, Nylander brought out all his tricks. The Swede scored 40 goals and finished the season with 98 points. While he didn’t earn any awards, he scored himself a couple of things that he can’t complain about. In the middle of the season, the Leafs were so impressed with his play that they signed him to an extension. Nylander scored himself a handsome pay raise. Starting this season, his eight-year $11.5M AAV contract will kick in.
2023 Offseason
Toronto’s general manager, Brad Treliving, has been a busy man over the summer. He’s made many moves, additions and changes within the entire Leafs organization. The first piece of business when their season ended was to get a new head coach. Sheldon Keefe was fired, and Craig Berube was hired about a week later. Then came free agency, and the Maple Leafs made a splash for a new defence. Just before July 1, they traded for the signing rights of Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars. Eventually, they signed him to a six-year deal that will expire when he turns 40 years old. In addition to that, Treliving added Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jani Hakanpaa to the Leafs’ backend. Also, Anthony Stolarz will support Joseph Woll in the Leafs tandem this season. He was also signed in free agency.
In terms of the forward group, there hasn’t been as much activity as the defence. However, there have been some changes worth noting. In August, John Tavares passed over the captaincy to Matthews, making him the first American-born captain in Maple Leafs history. Furthermore, there have been more additions requiring pen and paper. Nicholas Robertson was re-signed despite submitting a trade request earlier in the summer. The Leafs also signed a couple of players to PTOs (professional tryout). Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz joined the Maple Leafs roster on a tryout in hopes of earning a contract and job.
Projected Lineup
Forwards
Knies – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Nylander/Tavares – Jarnkrok
Pacioretty – Tavares – Robertson
McMann – Kampf – Holmberg
Top Six
In Toronto’s top six, there are a lot of spots that are secure and will most likely remain throughout the season. However, there are a couple of areas that may change over time. For example, Berube is experimenting with Nylander at the centre position. Only time will tell if that project will continue throughout the course of the season. If Nylander can’t keep up with the defensive responsibilities of a centre, they’ll have to move Tavares back up to the second line or move Max Domi to the middle.
Also, forwards lower in the lineup might play their way to a bigger role. Nick Robertson has been looking for a top-six role for a little while, and maybe this is his year to accomplish that. Pacioretty also has the experience to have a role up there too. While Calle Jarnkrok is a solid two-way forward, he’s on that second line to make up for the lost defensive ability between Domi and Nylander. If the Nylander experiment falls through, someone else may slot in on the right wing.
Bottom Six
The bottom six of the Leafs forward group is completely wide open this season. Whoever Berube decides to dress on opening night doesn’t mean there won’t be significant changes to it later in the year. Players like Bobby McMann and Robertson can move up and down the lineup, and so can Pacioretty. It should also be added that Ryan Reaves and Connor Dewar will more than likely feature on the fourth line at some point next season. There could also be the possibility of calling up players from the minors. Players such as Alex Steeves and Nicholas Abruzzese could feature in the NHL, as they’ve done in the past. That includes an many other players in Toronto’s farm system.
It’s worth noting that those in the bottom six will get more minutes than last season under Keefe. When Berube was the bench boss for the St. Louis Blues, it was rare for a forward to average 20 minutes or more. Even though the Leafs’ top three forwards will probably still get around 20 minutes of ice time, everyone will have a little more time. Berube tends to roll all for lines consistently. The bottom six will have a bigger role this season, given the circumstances compared to last season.
Defence
Rielly – Tanev
Benoit – McCabe
Ekman-Larsson – Liljegren/Hakanpaa
Top Four
Morgan Rielly, the longest-tenured Leaf on the roster, will have a new partner on the top pair. Not only will he have a new partner, but Tanev might be the best partner he’s had in his 11 seasons. The two defencemen complement each other very well. Rielly is very good at moving the puck, and his offensive skill is presented in every game. On the other hand, Tanev is tough and has an active stick on the defensive end. He eats a ton of shots and minutes as well. That doesn’t mean the duo can’t hold up their end of the stick in the other aspect, but they are very balanced when used together.
As for the second pair, there is still some tinkering and testing that still needs to go on. Given the quality of the bottom-four defence, bodies can be moved around to find the right pairings. However, Jake McCabe is easily the ‘three’ in Toronto’s defence. He was acquired a couple of seasons ago in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. Since arriving, he’s been very noticeable and reliable. The 30-year-old can do it all, it seems. He throws big hits, fights, and is aggressive and physical. He also has a great defensive stick, and from time to time, he’ll score a big goal from the point.
Bottom Pair
Toronto’s depth on the blueline and defence in general is much better than last season. Many can be relied on, and the bottom four of Simon Benoit, McCabe, Ekman-Larsson and Timothy Liljegren can be moved around to find the best combinations. Benoit took a massive step last season, an undrafted defenceman who was let go by the Anaheim Ducks. Now, he has an important role with the Maple Leafs as a tough D-man who kills penalties.
Ekman-Larsson has a solid resume. The former captain of the Arizona Coyotes is coming off a Stanley Cup victory with the Panthers. He’s known for his elite puck-moving and offensive ability. In his prime, he was a regular 40-point scorer on the backend. Things have changed a bit over the years, but there’s no doubt he’ll be showcasing his ability on the power play this season. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Liljegren and Hakanpaa. Because of all the depth there is on defence now, There isn’t enough space to play everyone, although both those players will be important to the Leafs’ success.
Goalies
Woll
Stolarz
Fans across the league always talk about Toronto’s goaltending as a weakness they have. In the past, the Leafs goaltending has been the reason for losing and dropping points in the regular season. This season, they’ll be looking to take a step in the right direction, especially now that there’s been some change. Last season, Ilya Samsonov was Toronto’s starting goaltender, and he had a terrible season. He finished with a 3.13 GAA and a .890 save percentage. It’s hard to find success with those numbers.
Now, if Woll can stay healthy, he’ll be promoted to starting goaltender. And now, with the new addition of Stolarz, Toronto’s tandem seems a little stronger than next season. However, neither of these puck-stoppers has much experience in carrying a heavy load. Both Stolarz and Woll have never started more than 24 games in a season. Although, given the numbers, it seems that they’ll be ready and are up for the challenge and workload.
Players to Watch
Mitch Marner
To a degree, Marner has been the talk of the summer for the Maple Leafs. He is a pending free agent and will become a UFA on July 1 if he’s not re-signed by then. In terms of contract negotiations, it’s understood that Marner wants to leave it to his agent and Treliving. There is a feeling that there will be a deal agreed to at some time during the season.
It’ll be interesting to see how Marner responds to the media and fans with his play on the ice. Many star players in the NHL tend to have a great season in their contract years. An example of this would be Nylander’s situation from last year. Nylander went into the 2023-24 season as a pending UFA, and they left negotiations for the businessmen. In the meantime, Nylander had the best season of his career. He scored 40 goals and 98 points. For Marner, there’s no reason he can’t get around 30 goals and 70 assists to finally hit the 100-point mark.
Max Pacioretty
Pacioretty has a lot of experience in this league and has played big roles throughout his career. He was the captain of the Canadiens and has scored 30 or more goals in a season five times. The Connecticut native has had a lot of serious injuries in the past that slowed his career down, specifically his Achilles. However, he’s ready to turn to a new page in his career with Toronto. He’s even told the media that he’s feeling great and can’t wait to prove to everyone that he’s ready.
In his first preseason game, he showed just how ready he is. Two goals and three points for the 35-year-old to open up his account with the Maple Leafs. Look out for Pacioretty to make more noise in the regular season and to use his leadership and experience to his advantage.
Prediction for the 2024-25 Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to pass the first round like they did two seasons ago. A team with this quality needs to make a deep run in the playoffs, especially when you consider how many playoff campaigns they’ve played in. As for the regular season, it’s still very important to focus on that. In a division as tough as the Atlantic, every game matters. Winning the division is something that Toronto hasn’t done in recent years, except for the North Division in the bubble. The team must make that a goal to give them an easier matchup come playoff time. However, it’s tough to say if Toronto can overcome the Panthers, Bruins or the Tampa Bay Lightning for that top spot.
Prediction: 3rd in Atlantic Division
Main Photo: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
