The 2019-20 iteration of the Toronto Maple Leafs was a confusing one.
From October 2 until November 21, the Toronto Maple Leafs went 9-10-4, placing 20th league – an unacceptable record for a team vying to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Many had written off Toronto based on their abysmal start and were calling for the firing of Leafs coach Mike Babcock, something that had picked up steam ever since he was outcoached in the playoffs last spring.
With a mid-season coaching change, the team who many thought should have appeared from opening night finally broke out. With Sheldon Keefe in charge, the Toronto Maple Leafs went 15-6-2 over their next 23 games, landing 6th in the league, and rattled off a 10-game point streak during their hot run.
However, in a game on January 12, the Leafs luck seemed to have run out. Morgan Reilly, the heart and soul of the franchise, broke his foot and it seemed thereafter it was bad break after bad break for Toronto.
From then on until the stoppage, Toronto posted a record of 12-9-3, 14th in the league, and it appeared as if their magical 23-game run at the beginning of the Keefe era was a distant memory.
This roller-coaster ride of a season seemed to have rubbed off on some of the players as many experienced up-and-down seasons of their own.
While at times it was difficult for fans to find a single Leaf player playing well on some nights, taking the season as a whole, three players stood out as having good years.
For various reasons, these three individuals worked the hardest, produced fantastic on-ice results, and managed to silence every doubter who questioned their abilities.
Here are the 3 best members of the Toronto Maple Leafs this year.