Toronto Maple Leafs: Building the Perfect Leafs Player

Puck carrying: William Nylander

Even during the darkest time of his career following a contract holdout, the analytics community was raving about William Nylander’s puck carrying ability. Now he is back to being the 30 goal, 60+ point player the Leafs have come to know him to as.

As a result, the NHL community as a whole is becoming more aware of just how good Nylander is with the puck. He is among the league leaders in zone entries and exits, and whether you like him or not, this is a fact that cannot be disputed and is an extreme asset to our perfect Leaf player build.

Toughness: Jake Muzzin

It’s no secret that the Leafs are built around skill, not physical play. One player who is an exception to that mold is Jake Muzzin.

The blue liner is the type of player that fans love on the backend. He hits hard, blocks shots, and doesn’t back down from anyone.

Despite missing time due to injury, Muzzin was the only Leaf with over 100 hits (109) when the NHL season went on pause. His value to the team was acknowledged when the team inked him to a four-year extension in February.