The Toronto Maple Leafs had a very eventful season
The Toronto Maple Leafs had tons of different storylines to follow for the 2019-20 season. Firing Mike Babcock, the various injuries that plagued the team, and Auston Matthews’ journey to 50 goals were just some of the many narratives that many Leafs fans followed along this year.
Although there are no official announcements of the season coming to a cancellation during these unprecedented times, the best players on the Toronto Maple Leafs this season can probably be determined without the final twelve games of the regular season being played.
Hart Trophy – Auston Matthews
Absolutely no surprises here. Auston Matthews developed his game tremendously this season as a goalscorer, becoming a threat from all areas on the ice, as well as developing different aspects of his defensive game as the season progressed.
As if 47 goals and 33 assists for 80 points through 70 games wasn’t enough to make my argument, his constant criticism for defensive responsibility does not really reflect the statistics.
Despite having the second most ice time on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Matthews managed to have the third highest on-ice save percentage (92.3%), while also having the most blocked shots of any forward on the team (53), and was one of the best players in goals against/60 minutes with 2.25.
The strides Auston Matthews has made in terms of maturity and growth as a young superstar bodes well for fans as the Toronto Maple Leafs 2019-20 MVP will only get better as the years go on.
Norris Trophy – Jake Muzzin
With Morgan Rielly being out for majority of the season due to injury, Jake Muzzin stepped up tremendously as a leader on the blue line with a lot of outside pressure from fans and media to carry the defensive load of this team, which is no easy task.
While his point production isn’t as flashy as other top pairing defensemen in the NHL, Muzzin does everything the Leafs need him to do. He kills penalties, brings a physical edge, and can hold it down in their own zone when needed.
Similarly to someone like Zach Hyman, the statistics do not reflect the overall value of Jake Muzzin, as his extended time out of the lineup was a huge moment where fans got to realize his true value to the injury-filled defensive core.
Re-signing Muzzin at the trade deadline will likely pan out to be the right decision as time progresses, as this off-season could see many pieces to this defensive lineup change, and Muzzin is clearly someone who can help this team make a deep playoff run.