Toronto Maple Leafs Core Looking to Set a New Franchise Record

The Toronto Maple Leafs have earned 42 of a possible 58 points so far this season.

After 29 games last season,  the Toronto Maple Leafs had 40 points and finished the season with 115 points for a new franchise record.

The 2022-23 version of the team is on pace to break that record.

The current core of the Toronto Maple Leafs is all about breaking records.

First, Auston Matthews broke Rick Vaive’s record for most goals (54) in a season by a Maple Leaf. He finished last season with 60 goals.

The 2022-23 season has seen Mitch Marner break the record for the longest point streak (18 games) by a Maple Leaf. He is currently at 22 games in a row with at least one point.
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)

One record that is becoming more and more likely is Toronto finishing the season with four players all scoring 30 or more goals.

Having four players with that kind of scoring ability makes Toronto one of the best teams in the NHL. The team has had plenty of seasons with two players scoring 30 or more goals and a couple of times with three players reaching the milestone, but never four players in the same season.

For all the hate and criticism directed at certain players in Toronto’s core four, fans should embrace the incredible talent those four have to offer. Do they make a lot of money? Yes, but they produce at or better than their cap value. Many teams would love to have one of our core four players. We should consider ourselves lucky to have all four of them.

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Core Four Looking to Make History

Mitch Marner

Marner has 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points in 29 games. As mentioned above, he is riding a 22-game point streak. He will be looking to extend his point streak on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. Marner was one of three Toronto Maple Leafs players to score over 30 goals last season. He will look to be one of four players to do it this season.

Auston Matthews

Matthews has 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 29 games. He might not be on pace to score 60 goals like last season, but he is still on pace to get more than 40 goals. Matthews has elevated his style of play and is not just a goal scorer. He plays well defensively and is more physical this season. The goals haven’t come as frequently as fans are accustomed to, but they will.

William Nylander

Nylander set career bests in goals (34), assists (46), and points (80) last season. He started the 2022-23 season where he left off and is showing no signs of slowing down. With 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 29 games, Nylander is on pace to shatter his stats from last season.

John Tavares

For a player that many have claimed is “slowing down,” the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs has 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points in 29 games. Due to injuries and lingering effects, Tavares has not scored 30 goals in Toronto since he registered 47 goals in the 2018-19 season. He is looking to change that this season and help make team history.

I hope fans can appreciate what they have in these four players. Watching them set new franchise records is something we should all enjoy. We can worry about the playoffs when we get there, but let’s enjoy the ride that gets us there too.