The Toronto Maple Leafs’ core has never been under this much scrutiny before a season has begun. For years, people believed that the team was just one or two bounces away from winning a Stanley Cup and that they still had the potential to be a dynasty.
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Today, very few, if any, Maple Leafs fans think the core four can get the job done. Instead, most believe it’s time for management to make a big change, though that seems unlikely this summer. Despite all the doubt and frustration, one thing is certain: the Maple Leafs are a solid regular-season team. They possess plenty of talent up and down their lineup and shouldn’t have any issues making the playoffs. With that said, here’s a look at each players’ end-of-season point predictions.
Auston Matthews
64 G – 48 A – 112
Auston Matthews was one goal short of hitting 70 last season. The 69-goal output was astounding for the 26-year-old, with his previous career high being 60. There is no denying that he is the best goal scorer in the game, though expecting him to surpass last year’s total may be far fetched.
Nonetheless, he should be able to add more assists to his total, which would set him up for a new high in points.
William Nylander
42 G – 59 A – 101 PTS
While highly skilled, William Nylander has established himself as one of the game’s most productive wingers in the past few seasons. The 28-year-old is still getting better and is coming off of a career-high 98 points. With questions about his future removed thanks to last season’s contract extension, he should have an even bigger campaign in 2024-25.
Mitch Marner
24 G – 54 A – 78 PTS
Assuming he is still a Maple Leaf to start the 2024-25 season, it could be tough for Mitch Marner. Though he is one of the most skilled players in the league, his playoff struggles have turned him into public enemy number one amongst Maple Leafs fans. In such a high-profile market, the noise will be difficult for him to handle. While 78 points is nothing to scoff at, it would be a very disappointing total for the 27-year-old, but one that feels likely.
John Tavares
31 G – 36 A – 67 PTS
John Tavares isn’t the player he once was. Age has started to impact the 33-year-old, but with that said, he is very talented. While his production won’t live up to his $11 million cap hit, he should still be expected to have a very solid season and could surpass the 30-goal mark for the seventh time in his career.
Max Domi
15 G – 41 A – 56 PTS
Despite some ups and downs, Max Domi’s first season with the Maple Leafs was a success. He was rewarded for it, agreeing to a four-year, $15 million deal in late June. Having one season under his belt in Toronto should help him moving forward, and he should improve on his 47-point total from 2023-24.
Matthew Knies
21 G – 24 A – 45 PTS
Expectations were high for Matthew Knies entering his rookie season, and he lived up to them. The 21-year-old managed 15 goals and 35 points, and it was clear that he’s capable of more.
Seeing him surpass those totals and record his first 20-goal season wouldn’t be surprising.
Nic Robertson
23 G – 20 A – 43 PTS
Nic Robertson doesn’t seem to be happy with his usage in Toronto. The 22-year-old has all sorts of offensive skills but was never given much of an opportunity under former head coach Sheldon Keefe and even reportedly requested a trade this offseason. General manager Brad Treliving told reporters, however, that there is plenty of opportunity for him moving forward, and that could be true with new head coach Craig Berube behind the bench. Should he remain with the Maple Leafs and get a bigger role, he is capable of solid secondary-scoring numbers.
Calle Jarnkrok
14 G – 19 A – 33 PTS
Calle Jarnkrok is a relatively easy player to project. The 32-year-old is always good for double-digit goals and generally posts around 30 points. Those are solid secondary numbers, and with all the other tangibles he provides, Maple Leafs fans will be happy if he reaches these totals.
Bobby McMann
16 G – 14 A – 30 PTS
Bobby McMann was the feel-good story of the Maple Leafs last season, coming out of nowhere to score 15 goals in just 54 games. While that pace is likely to cool down a bit in 2024-25, he’s proven that he can put the puck in the net and should continue to provide secondary scoring.
Pontus Holmberg
12 G – 15 A – 27 PTS
Pontus Holmberg has some high-end skill but seems likely to play on the fourth line for much of the 2024-25 season. Injuries could bump him up, which would help him put up some good totals. However, if he remains in a fourth-line role, these projected numbers would be very good for the 25-year-old.
David Kampf
7 G – 15 A – 22 PTS
David Kampf doesn’t provide much offence but has a knack for scoring in big moments. At his best, however, his defensive play makes up for his low offensive totals.
It will be interesting to see how he rebounds after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign.
Connor Dewar
8 G – 12 A – 20 PTS
Maple Leafs fans are still getting to know Connor Dewar, acquired from the Minnesota Wild at last year’s trade deadline. The 25-year-old was recently signed to a one-year deal, proving that management has some hope for him as a player. He won’t wow anybody with his offence but is a solid penalty-killer who loves to throw his body around.
Ryan Reaves
3 G – 5 A – 8 PTS
Fans aren’t expecting to see points from Ryan Reaves. In fact, many would prefer he wasn’t in the lineup. He will see his fair share of time in the press box this season but will provide value from time to time with his toughness. When he scores, it seems to provide a serious boost to his teammates, so hopefully, the three goals he’s projected to reach will come in big moments.
Morgan Rielly
12 G – 50 A – 62 PTS
Despite facing a fair bit of criticism over the years, Morgan Rielly has been a very solid defenceman for the Maple Leafs. The 30-year-old remains in the prime of his career, and it won’t be a surprise to see him reach the 60-point total at least one more time. He would have reached it last season had he played all 82 games.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
8 G – 30 A – 38 PTS
Oliver Ekman-Larsson had a solid bounce-back season after big-time struggles for a few years. He won’t ever return to the 20-goal scorer he was on two separate occasions with the Arizona Coyotes, but he could put up totals similar to what he had in 2023-24.
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He’ll certainly get the opportunity to do so with the Maple Leafs, who are looking for bigger totals from their back end.
Timothy Liljegren
7 G – 27 A – 34 PTS
Timothy Liljegren has become a real source of frustration for Maple Leafs fans, but he has offensive skills. At 25 years old, this may be his final opportunity to prove he can pull it all together in Toronto. Should he finally live up to the potential he had years ago, recording north of 30 points doesn’t seem unreasonable.
Conor Timmins
4 G – 25 A – 29 PTS
Conor Timmins is a tough player to predict, given that he simply cannot stay healthy. He hasn’t played more than 42 games in a season since turning pro in 2019-20.
Should he finally suit up for more games than not in 2023-24, he could put up some solid numbers, especially since he will be given favourable matchups and offensive zone starts.
Jake McCabe
5 G – 18 A – 23 PTS
Jake McCabe doesn’t typically provide offence, but he did put up a career-high 28 points in 2023-24. That should regress slightly this coming season, though he provides value in plenty of other ways, including his physical play.
Joni Hakanpaa
3 G – 10 A – 13 PTS
Hakanpaa is another tough player to predict due to injury concerns. There have been reports that his knee might not allow him to play at all in 2024-25. If that turns out to be false, modest totals like those mentioned above line up with what he has done throughout his 288-game career.
Simon Benoit
1 G – 6 A – 7 PTS
Simon Benoit proved valuable to the Maple Leafs last season, adding some snarl to their blue line. In terms of offence, there’s next to nothing, though, that isn’t needed from a player expected to be the sixth defenceman (at best).
Last Dance Opportunity
Based on where we are at in the offseason, it seems unlikely that the Maple Leafs will pull off a big trade involving one of Marner or Tavares. That means management, whether willingly or simply for cap reasons, will give their core group one more chance to prove their worth. While almost everyone doubts their ability to win in the playoffs, many of them should put up big point totals.
