Leafs Notes: A Preview of the 2023-24 Season
(Photo: Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)
The Toronto Maple Leafs finished last season with 111 points in the regular season, and made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Maple Leafs managed to get a match up against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, and it took them six games to dispose of them. Unfortunately for the Leafs, they ran into a team that was playing good hockey down the stretch and knocked off the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Florida Panthers made quick work of the Leafs by eliminating them in five games, and the Leafs suffered yet another second round postseason loss.
The Maple Leafs have undergone some significant changes this offseason, with the departure of Kyle Dubas and the arrival of Brad Treliving as their new general manager. Along with Assistant General Manager Derek Clancey, the team has made some bold moves to bring in experienced and gritty players. Free-agent signings such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Ryan Reaves, and John Klingberg have added depth and strength to the team’s roster.
Reaves and Domi will bring a toughness to the team that was missing the past few seasons. They will both stand up for their teammates, and Domi can pitch in on the offensive side of the puck. The forwards have decent size, and they should be able to show off their speed in the transition game. They have an equal amount of playmakers and guys that can put the puck in the net. The Maple Leafs have good depth up front and should have a balanced lineup from lines one through four.
The team will rely on the Core Four of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander during this season. This season the depth up front should the Core Four take a game off or get shut down, then the other forwards can step up and put some pucks in the net. The forward group is heavily loaded with veteran players who should know their roles, but there were two younger players Matthew Knies and Fraser Minten, who made the Open Night roster.
The defensive corps is probably one of the biggest questions on this team for me. Sure, they have a ton of experience on the blue line, but it seems that Treliving has more offensive-minded players on the blue line than defensive-minded players. Morgan Rielly has been playing the role of the number-one defenseman for the past few seasons, but is he that guy? They have decent size on the backend and will block shots. The blue line looks like it will be a work in progress in the defensive zone.
The defensive corps is not physical; however, they should have no problem moving the puck. They are mobile enough to skate the puck out of their zone, or they can hit that first pass out of the zone. The ability to move the puck will result in them chipping in on the offensive side, making this team a high-scoring one. The blue liners are a veteran group who should hold each other accountable. The biggest issue with this blue line could be that they are out of position and give up chances trying to pitch in on the offensive side of the puck.
The defense being the question mark on this team is not good news for the goaltending duo of Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll. Matt Murray had surgery in the offseason and is on injured reserve to start the season. Samsonov is the clear-cut number-one goaltender for the start of the 2023-24 season. Samsonov had a decent regular season for the Maple Leafs last season and will look to build off of it. He will have to make saves, as the team playing with him will give up chances. The 26-year-old will have to be more consistent in net to steal games and potentially make a deep playoff run. Samsonov will have to stay healthy to keep the number one goalie spot.
Due to injuries in the net for the Maple Leafs, Woll stepped in and played in seven games last season . The small sample size indicated that he played well having a 2.16 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. He faced 31 shots per game and gave up a little over two goals per game. Woll has good size and can produce when called upon, as he showed last season. If Samsonov struggles or gets injured, it will be interesting to see if Head Coach Sheldon Keefe would go with Woll as the starter. The 25-year-old lacks NHL experience but proved he can play at that level last season. It will be an interesting season since Woll should get more than seven games of playing time this upcoming season.
Woll should get more playing time as he made the Opening Night Roster. In the seven regular season games played last season, he proved he can make saves and keep his team in the game. With Samsonov’s injury history, Woll is likely to get more playing time and gain some confidence as the season goes on. As he plays more minutes, he should learn the shooters’ tendencies. Woll proved he could step up in big moments last year. He has decent size and the potential to be a solid goalie with more NHL experience.
Klingberg was an offseason free agency addition who the Maple Leafs are taking a chance on. The team signed him to a one-year, $4.15 million dollar contract over the summer. It is a prove-it contract, albeit a bit too high on the cap hit. Klingberg is going to have a bounce-back season with the Leafs. He is on a better team, and the Leafs style of play fits him better than Anaheim and Minnesota did last year. The 31-year-old shouldn’t play as many minutes, and his production should go up if he plays on the power play. Depending on who his partner is, he could be free to play his style of hockey, and that should help him tremendously.
The rookie, Knies, should have a breakout season with the Maple Leafs. He has the skill and speed to play with the likes of Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander in the top six. His speed and skill should keep him in the League for the season. If he uses his power and finesse along the boards to win board battles, he can have a lot of assists. Since the rookie is a better playmaker than a scorer, he should be on a line with at least one pure scorer.
Another year means the Core Four is under pressure to get past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have no problem producing during the regular season since the team leans on them for production. It’s a different story once the postseason hits. The Core Four just can’t seem to lead the Maple Leafs past the second round, no matter who the opponent is. If they do not succeed in the postseason this year, it could potentially be their last season together so do they prove themselves or fold under the pressure?
The goaltenders are going to be the key to success this season. The players in front of them are going to give up chances, but the goalies need to make both the routine and the big saves. Samsonov and Woll will need to keep the Leafs in games because there will be potential for some high-scoring games, and the Eastern Conference has improved. To have a successful season, Samsonov needs to stay healthy and Woll needs to stay ready. They will both have to avoid letting in the soft goals.
The offense is going to lead this team game after game. They have the potential to score at least four goals per game if everyone is on their game. Even if the Core Four is going through a slump, the lineup should be deep enough to produce. They will get help from the blue line since they are offensive-minded. They are also a veteran-heavy team and hopefully someone would step up and say something or lead by example if key players are slumping. They have a balance of playmakers and scorers so producing should not be an issue.
Despite all the veteran leadership and offensive production, the Maple Leafs won’t make it past the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs again this year. I don’t think the defense and goaltending are going to be good enough, and this will cause the early exit again. The early exit will not be on the Core Four, as they will produce during the brief postseason run.
