3 Toronto Maple Leafs Breakout Candidates for Next Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a handful of young talented players that could breakout next season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in an enviable position because, while they have a solid core of players either in, or approaching, their primes, they also have a bunch of players who are ready to contribute in a larger way.

We’ve already seen some Toronto Maple Leafs players take a big step in the past two seasons, but now I think next season is the time for some players.

We’ve seen Auston Matthews almost hit 50 goals in his fourth year in the NHL, and Mitch Marner almost hit 100 points last season… but who and what is next?

3. Rasmus Sandin – 20 years old – D

2019-20 stats – 28 GP – 1 G – 7 A – 8 PTS – 54.33 CF% 

At my number three spot I have the youngest defensemen on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rasmus Sandin.

I’m not saying he will certainly have a breakout year next season but it defiantly isn’t impossible, and there are a couple reasons why.

In his first NHL season, Sandin played in 28 games and scored eight points as well, while having a mostly positive effect when he was on the ice. When I think of a breakout year next season for Sandin I don’t think of 40-50 points in his second year in the NHL.

I truly think if put in the right position Sandin could hit 30 points next season, but it’s not all about point totals.  If he can become a top-four NHL player – or the equivalent, if depth keeps him on the third pairing – then that would be considered a breakout year.

With left handers Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly already firmly established as Toronto’s top defensemen, Sandin will have to challange Travis Dermott and the recently signed Mikko Lehtonen.

Competition should only help all players involved, and perhaps one or two of them can get playing time by moving to the right side.  Time will tell, but for now, Sandin seems like a good bet to have a breakout season next year.