Toronto Maple Leafs Season Preview
Players Who Should Be Trending Upwards This Season
The Leafs are expecting many players to take the next step this season the question is which players should be trending upwards this season.
Morgan Rielly
This is an obvious choice given the way Rielly played at the World Cup of Hockey. He showed that he is capable of playing on a top pairing against the oppositions top lines. He stepped his game up when Aaron Ekblad was knocked out of the tournament and was used in many key situations.
Is he ready to do the same on the Leafs blueline?
Many believe he can but it will be tough if his partner is Martin Marincin. But if he can play a steady defensive game while contributing offensively, he should be viewed as the most important player on the team, or at least be behind Matthews in that regard. Look for him to try to get at least 40 points this season, especially if he gets time on the powerplay.
He finally got the long-term contract now it is time for Kadri to take his game to another level. He has shown the ability to put up points and play responsibly on defence, especially against the team’s top forwards. Now it is time for him to do that on both sides of the ice, especially with Matthews ready to take his spot as the team’s number one center.
He had 45 points last season, which is the second highest points total of his career. If he wants to show that he earned the new contract he should target 50-60 points this season while mainitning his strong defensive game.
He was off to a strong to the start last season and was well on his way to scoring 30 goals, which he is capable of doing, but a foot injury kept him out the rest of the season.
With him healthy and ready to go the goal scoring burden could fall on him if the younger players struggle to score at the start. He may have trade rumours to deal with if teams call the Leafs and show interest in him.
It will be interesting to see if he gets lined up with Matthews even on the powerplay because the two can form a dynamic duo. JVR should be able to score 30 goals this season and should be in line for 55-60 points.
Brown does not have the same talent level that Mitch Marner and William Nylander possess but he is a smart player that could work his way up the depth chart depending on how the team decides to set their lineup.
Marner is not expected to play the entire season so Brown could move up to his spot on Tyler Bozak‘s line. He could have easily been sent down to the Marlies without having to clear waivers but the organization knows that he is ready to make the jump to the NHL full-time.
He will be used on the penalty kill and could be used in many situations. He might not put up a lot of points to start but he could hit 40 points if he is in the right situation.
Connor Carrick
He had a strong AHL postseason after a brief stint in the NHL with the Leafs, but now he wants to prove that he can do that in a full-time role with the Leafs.
He is expected to play with Jake Gardiner on the second pairing and could be a surprise player because of his smart play. He has a good shot from the point and is not afraid to use his body as evident in this play below.
He could be a sleeper player this season if he can put up points, but what will be more important is being a steady defensive player with Gardiner who has had his struggles defensively.
Next: Should we be Concerned About Frederik Andersen?
He could get 30 points if he plays in the right situation, but on the low end he should be able to get 25 points.