Three Maple Leafs beyond the Core Four who will take the team to the next level
Three members of the Toronto Maple Leafs outside the Core Four who will take the team to the next level in the 2024-25 season.
General manager Brad Treliving was clear in his exit interview after the Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Boston Bruins a few months ago: he wants to take the team to the next level.
When he came into office, past general managers Lou Lamoriello and Kyle Dubas had already paved the way for that to happen. They notably drafted two of the most exciting young players in the Maple Leafs organization: Joseph Woll and Matthew Knies.
With these two players getting ready to compete at a high level in the NHL, Treliving only had a few adjustments to apply to the roster. This summer, he made a big one when he signed defenseman Chris Tanev to a six-year deal valued at $27M.
Matthew Knies, Joseph Woll, and Chris Tanev could take the Toronto Maple Leafs to the next level in the 2024-25 NHL season.
Let's start with Knies. The 21-year-old forward is coming off a 35-point rookie season with the Leafs. In his short hockey career, the player has always managed to maintain a point-per-game production. From his days in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm and his NCAA season with the University of Minnesota, the only time he didn't register a point-per-game season was in 2020-21, when he tallied 42 points in 44 games.
He will likely try to get back to this level. Even if the NHL is obviously a much higher caliber, and scoring 82 points is a bit of a stretch, getting on the ice every night with that mindset couldn't hurt the Leafs. Let's not forget that he should also get the opportunity to play on Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner's line, which will surely help his offensive production.
As for Joseph Woll, he is finally set to be the team's number one goalie. At 26 years old, he has already shown that he can be a game-changer for the Leafs. He was notably very good in the last playoffs, achieving a 0.86 GAA and a .964 SV% before being injured at the end of the sixth game. The key for him will be to stay healthy. He missed a lot of games because of a high ankle sprain last season, in addition to his playoff injury. If he can play 40-50 games in 2024-25, the Leafs could be on their way to have yet another amazing regular season and build enough momentum to finally win in the playoffs.
Finally, Chris Tanev, Brad Treliving's biggest acquisition of the offseason, will bring his defensive abilities to the Leafs' blue line. He also brings valuable playoff experience to the team, as he played a great role in the Dallas Stars' run to the Western Conference Finals last year. With Craig Berube as head coach, Tanev could take his game to the next level to lead the Leafs back into greatness.
Of course, other players will need to contribute if the Leafs want to win a few playoff rounds next season. However, these three players could be key pieces in the lineup to achieve the organization's goals.
Source for Matthew Knies' statistics: Elite Prospects
Source for Joseph Woll's statistics: NHL.com
Source for Chris Tanev's statistics: NHL.com
| POLL | ||
Who do you think will have the biggest impact for the Toronto Maple Leafs outside the Core Four? | ||
| Matthew Knies | 93 | 31.2 % |
| Joseph Woll | 90 | 30.2 % |
| Chris Tanev | 87 | 29.2 % |
| Morgan Rielly | 28 | 9.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
