The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into the 2023-24 season with high expectations. It is understandable, as they possess a very strong roster led by Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and Morgan Rielly. However, if the Maple Leafs want to have real success this upcoming season, they will need other players to step up as well. This is the case whether they just had a down season or are prime breakout candidates. Here are three players on their current roster who stand out as wild cards.
Joseph Woll
Joseph Woll should be in a major position to make an impact for the Maple Leafs in 2023-24. The Maple Leafs are expected to move on from Matt Murray this summer, thus opening the door for Woll to be a full-time NHL netminder. The 25-year-old showed this past season that he looks ready to be in the NHL, and the real question is whether or not he will be able to build on it from here.
Woll appeared in seven regular-season games for the Maple Leafs last season, posting a 6-1-0 record, 2.16 goals-against average (GAA), and .932 save percentage (SV%). He then followed that up with a solid postseason, as his 2.43 GAA and .915 SV% effectively display. If he can keep up similar play to this with the Maple Leafs in 2023-24, he will form a strong tandem with Ilya Samsonov.
The Maple Leafs will need Woll to prove that he is ready to be an impactful NHL goaltender this season. Let’s see how the Missouri native performs from here, but there certainly is reason for optimism given his play this past season.
John Klingberg
After losing both Luke Schenn and Justin Holl in free agency, it was apparent that the Maple Leafs were going to add at least one right-shot defenseman. They did just that, inking John Klingberg to a one-year, $4.15 million contract. With this move, the Maple Leafs have added an offensive defenseman who can handle top-four minutes. However, he also has seen his production dip over the last couple of seasons. That is something he will be looking to change with Toronto in 2023-24.
When looking at the Maple Leafs’ roster, there is reason to believe that Klingberg can make a big impact. After all, he will have several strong offensive weapons to work with like Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi. He also will see a ton of power-play time, and that, at least in theory, should lead to his production going back up. Yet, we will need to wait and see if it does.
In 67 games last season split between the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild, Klingberg had 10 goals and 33 points. That was still decent production in what was a down year for the 30-year-old. Yet, now that he is joining a far stronger Maple Leafs squad, let’s see if it is the spark he needs to be a bigger difference-maker.
Matthew Knies
Naturally, Matthew Knies is a wild card who Maple Leafs fans will need to watch closely this upcoming season. The Maple Leafs top prospect is gearing up for his first full season in the NHL after leaving a good but also short impression this past campaign. After posting an assist in three regular-season games, Knies was quite noticeable in the postseason, recording one goal and four points in seven games. It was a nice start to the youngster’s career, but now he will be looking to make a big impact in his first full season.
When looking at the Maple Leafs’ current roster, it is fair to assume that Knies will be penciled in on the club’s third line, likely forming a trio with David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok. He also should see time on their power play, with his specific role being as a net-front presence. Yet, if he has a big year, it would make the Maple Leafs’ roster significantly better as they look to go on a long postseason run next year.
Knies has all of the tools to blossom into a top-six forward at the NHL level, but will that happen this upcoming season, or take a bit more time? After all, Knies is only 20 years old and has plenty of time to hit his full potential. Regardless, we will need to wait and see how much of an impact he makes for the Maple Leafs next season.
Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see how much of an impact Woll, Klingberg, and Knies make for the Maple Leafs in 2023-24. The potential for them to have impressive seasons are there, but time will tell what happens on that front.
