After winning four-straight games to start the month of January, the Toronto Maple Leafs followed that up with a disappointing stretch of four straight loses where they had the lead and blew it. Then came four wins in their last five games– which included two wins in a home-and-home with the Winnipeg Jets– heading into the All-Star break on a high note.
While it’s a great chance for many on the Maple Leafs roster to regroup and unwind, the star players are being well represented for the All-Star festivities in Toronto. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner were all selected to attend the event with Matthews being named captain.
All four players have had strong seasons to this point and deserve the recognition, but some standout above the rest. Here are how the Maple Leafs All-Stars rank amongst each other in terms of overall impact.
4. Mitch Marner
It’s definitely been a difficult season for Marner as he’s had high and low points. At times, he’s shown why he’s one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league with his shifty play and creativity. At others, that has been his down fall where he tries to do too much, passes up shooting opportunities and makes questionable decisions with the puck.
Marner has already recorded his fourth straight 20-goal season, remains a top-20 scorer with 53 points and is in the top-20 in primary assists at all strengths. Despite all that, he still gets the ire of many, especially when the team was struggling earlier in the month saying they’re playing well even in those loses. Aside from that, Marner remains a top player in this league for a reason and that’s because he continues to dish the puck extremely well.
When Marner’s on top of his game, he can get the crowds out of their seats with the moves he makes. When he’s not in a panic and over complicating things, he is an elite-level player. The intensity in his game lacks consistency from game to game as he can’t shy away from when things get tough. Consistency always seems to be an issue and if he can maintain that, then things will begin to look up.
3. Morgan Rielly
If there was any point the Maple Leafs needed their top defenseman to be at his best this season, Rielly has definitely shown that he’s back to being a key and dominant factor on the backend.
You can notice a big difference in Rielly’s game compared to last season. It was evident during the playoffs and it has carried over into 2023-24. He’s more engaged in the offensive zone, jumping in on the attack, generating chances and is more positionally sound in his own end. He’s on pace for 68 points, which would tie his second-most productive season back in 2021-22. He’s already surpassed his goal total from last season (four) and is closing in on his assist total (37). His 40 points has him seventh among defenders and his 26 even strength points has him eighth.
The biggest thing that’s been standing out in Rielly’s game is the amount of minutes that he’s playing and how he has handled it to this point. He’s averaging 24:19 per game, the most in his career and is doing well against elite competition, having a 56.7 goals for percentage.
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This is Rielly’s first All-Star appearance and his play this season shows that he deserves it.
2. William Nylander
Over the last few seasons, Nylander has been solidifying himself as one of the premier wingers in the game. This season, was the icing on the cake as he got off to a blazing hot start and earned himself a massive new contract in the process. While he has cooled down since, his impact is still noticeable.
Nylander is 11th in league scoring with 61 points, but it’s the underlying numbers that continue to standout. Among forwards who have played 600 minutes at five-on-five, Nylander is 41st in scoring chances for with 54.67 and is 38th in high danger chances for with 55.31. Whenever he’s on the ice, he’s constantly driving hard and is successful at getting pucks on net to generate chances. Even with the points not coming as often, he’s still on-pace for 105 which is impressive itself.
Nylander was playing at an All-Star level last season, but just fell short of being named as one. His play easily has him as one of the Maple Leafs’ best players this season and why he’s taking part in the festivities this year.
1. Auston Matthews
This one is pretty obvious. Matthews has 40 goals in 46 games and became the fastest player in Maple Leafs history to record 600 career points. The rate at which Matthews is scoring goals and how he shows up at important points carrying the team on his back, is on another level. No matter where he is on the ice, the odds of him finding the back of the net increase tremendously with his shot and deceptiveness.
This season, Matthews leads the NHL in even strength goals with 30– doing most of his damage in that category– and has the highest goals per game rate with 0.87 (min. 25 games played). In addition, he has the best individual scoring chances with 188. He’s currently on-pace to hit the 70-goal mark and would be the first player to do so since Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny both scored 76 back in 1992-93. Not even Alexander Ovechkin, the one hunting down Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record, has reached that mark. Matthews is doing something unworldly at this point and is quickly cementing himself as the best goal scorer currently in the league.
While his goal scoring, volume of shots and offensive game continues to reach new heights, his commitment to being a force on the defensive side of the puck also remains, making him a true two-way threat. He’s sixth in the league in takeaways with 47, doing a great job to pressure opponents and breaking up plays.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews First Player to 30-Goal Mark
Heading into this season, Matthews was going to continue to make history and we’re seeing it right now. This alone has him at the top of the Maple Leafs in terms of his impact as an All-Star.
The Maple Leafs All-Stars have been at the forefront this season. The team’s best players have truly stood out and are being rewarded with their play. It’s a great time for them to have fun and enjoy the experience. When it’s all over, then the grind and work begins for the final stretch of the season.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick, NHL, Hockey Reference and PuckIQ.