Leafs: 5 Storylines to Follow in the Second Half of the Season
By James Reeve
5) Rookies
Rookies, rookies, rookies.
The team has been blessed this season with an abundance of rookies excelling in the league, headlined by Matthews, Marner and William Nylander.
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But even the likes of Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, Connor Carrick and Nikita Zaitsev have held their own and become core pieces to a playoff contending team.
If the Leafs are to achieve their newly established goal of reaching the playoffs this season, then all of the rookies will need to step up and continue to play as well as they have.
Watching the rookies has been fun for all involved with the Leafs this season and the rest of the campaign will give fans more opportunities to see what the future may hold for the team.
With three of their top players aged 20 or younger, it seems the future really is bright for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Next: Leafs' Mid-Season Player Grades
What are you looking forward to seeing in the second half of the season? What other major storylines will you be keeping an eye on? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!