Toronto Maple Leafs: Predicting the 2023-24 Landing Spots for All Players

Toronto Maple Leafs Roster: Our Best Guess At Where Everyone Plays Next Year

Auston Matthews

Good thing this is all digital or the amount of trees cut down to discuss where Matthews will play next season would have been very wasteful.

He’s clearly not getting traded, even if he says he wants to test free-agency.

In that case, you’d have to simultaneously try to use the  next year to convince him otherwise while going  all-in and try to win in his last year, since trading him will just be a waste of time.

I highly doubt that nightmare scenario is going to occur – Matthews loves it here and why wouldn’t he?

The Toronto Maple Leafs will soon make him the highest paid player in the NHL and he will once again be leading the Buds next season.

Mitch Marner

Why would the Toronto Maple Leafs ever consider trading the NHL’s third or fourth best player (depending on where you want to rank Cale Makar)?

They wouldn’t.

Marner is the face of the franchise, he’s the second best player to ever dress in the blue and white and we’ve not even seen him hit his peak yet.

120-150 points and a Stanley Cup, maybe even a scoring title.   That’s his peak.

And he’s hitting it in Toronto.

Unless Colorado sends the Leafs the aforementioned Makar, that is.  (They aren’t).

William Nylander

Trading William Nylander has been an annoying tradition for over five years.  Angry that the team has ignored their calls to trade him, and mad that the people who actually know about hockey were right the whole time, various angry media members are always trying to send Nylander away for some dumb checking forward.

But the stars have now aligned and with Nylander looking down the barrel of an eight-year deal into his 30s, it might make sense to trade him.

But only for one very specific thing: a young, cheaper defenseman who can become a superstar.

Colorado has too many top notch defenseman and not enough forwards. They are the inverse of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

That is why next year, Nylander will be on the Avs while the Leafs top defenseman is going to be Bowen Byram.

John Tavares

You can’t trade him, and you wouldn’t want to if you could.

He just scored nearly 40 goals, 80 points and was a 54% player.

Though he’s somehow underrated now, John Tavares is an awesome player and a great captain. He was never fast or physical, so he is bound to age well, and so far, there’s been little, if any, decline in his game.

Last year he was his usual point-per-game self and in the playoffs he notched a solid hattrick and a game-winning OT goal.

He flirted with 40 goals, and was generally awesome.  He’ll play in Toronto next year, obviously.

Michael Bunting

The rumours are that the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to let Michael Bunting walk.

The rumours are most likely true – at 900K his value was incredible, but at $4.5 million I think the Leafs can obviously just use Matthews knies, Nick Robertson or Ty Voit in his place.

I predict that Bunting gets overpaid to go play in Edmonton with the rest of the ex-Leafs.

Still, I”m not sure this the right move – it totally depends on how much money he’s asking for.

Bunting’s first year in Toronto was one of the best 5v5 seasons any player has ever had in the last 20 years, and it was better than even Zach Hyman’s best year.

His drop off in 2023 had more to do with Matthew’s year-long injury than anything else, and I think Bunting is a really effective player, especially at even-strength.

If his open-market price tag turns out to be less than expected, and the Leafs can get him for $3 million or less, I think they should be really open to that idea.

Calle Jarnkrok

Jarkrok is a solid player and he scored 20 goals, but I think the Leafs should capitalize on that because it likely won’t happen again.

He’s 31 and signed for three more years (though at a very reasonable rate).

He is a useful player, but he isn’t much of a grinder and I think you would ultimately like to play a higher ceiling player in his place, making 20 goals a virtual impossibility.

This is the kind of player you get rid of if you also get rid of Kyle Dubas and have a new GM who wants to ice a different kind of team.

I predict he’ll be traded to Pittsburgh for a 3rd round pick.

Ryan O’Reilly

Ryan O’Reilly was the Toronto Maple Leafs big-name acquisition, and in my opinion he really sums up the magical thinking about “playoff hockey” that is sold to us each year.

The Cup Winning, Conn Smythe winning O’Reilly gave the Leafs a third number-one centre and made them really tough to play against – when he was on his game.

Unfortunately, his scoring totals are inflated because all his points came in bunches, and his overall play in the playoffs was bad.

O’Reilly was a 44% player (Xgoals) this year for the Leafs in the playoffs, while losing his minutes in reality as well (40% Goals).

Last year for the Blues he put up a 42% Xgoals rating.

He should not be re-signed under any circumstances.  Unfortunately, I predict that the Leafs will buy into the magical thinking and he’ll be back in Toronto for his age 32/33 season, at too much money on too long a term.

Noel Acciari

Noel Acciari is an easy player to like.  But when considering to bring him back or not, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to consider that he is 31 years old, and that any non-star who gets more than one-year at the league minimum is automatically overpaid.

Why pay a player like Acciari when you have Pontus Holmberg or Bobby McMann to play on your third line?  They play differently, but they’re dirt-cheap and will offer a similar overall amount of WAR when all is said and done.

Acciari lost his minutes in the playoffs by both real and expected numbers.

He shouldn’t be back, but again, I am predicting the Leafs will be dumb and bring him back.

Nick Robertson

Injuries make his trade value basically zero, but he remains a very high ceilinged prospect, if only he can play more than one game out of three (which is what he’s done over the last three seasons).

Even the Leafs can’t screw this up –  you’d think.  But then again, how many ex-Leafs prospects are out there crushing it for their new teams?

Still, I think he gets one more season in Toronto.

Matthew Knies

Along with Tavares, Matthews, Marner, Rielly and McCabe, he’s one of the only absolutely guarantees to return.   I look forward to a full season of his work.

Alex Kerfoot

He is so fast, he’s got excellent defensive abilities, but he doesn’t really score too much.  Regardless, he scores more than you probably think.

I like Kerfoot, and I the trade that sent him to Colorado wasn’t as close to as bad as popular opinion makes it out to be.

Still, he’s clearly done in Toronto and his next team, I predict, will be the Jets.

Pontus Holmberg

He’s got more upside than most of the duds the Leafs had in the bottom-six last year and hopefully he’ll be back.

Zach Aston-Reece

To each his own, but hyphenated names annoy me.  I am also annoyed by players with zero offensive skill.   He won’t be back.  I could see him in Nashville.

David Kampf

I am sure he’s a nice guy, but I’ve grown to hate David Kampf the hockey player.  Don’t late the door hit you… if he doesn’t end up in Pittsburgh I’ll eat my hat.  (Note, I haven’t and never will wear a hat).

Sam Lafferty

Other than Luke Schenn, he is probably Kyle Dubas’ worst decision as GM.  I don’t see him being back. Let’s guess and say he plays next year in Philly.

Wayne Simmonds

He will retire.

Bobby McMann

The way he scored last year, he’ll get a look for sure this year. I predict he plays on the Toronto Maple Leafs all season.

Morgan Rielly

He is the heart and soul of the team and he’ll be back for sure.  His playoff renaissance was encouraging, but was inexplicably credited to an AHL defenseman.

Rielly probably makes too much money to get traded, and lets thank the Salary Cap for at last one good thing.  He should play his entire career with the Toronto Maple Leafs and go down as their second or third best ever defender.

Jake McCabe

He wasn’t too hot in the playoffs, but he’ll be OK and he’ll be back too. His dirt cheap contract and the fact he’s pretty good will keep everyone happy he’s returning to the Leafs.

Luke Schenn

The guy can win two cups without getting a raise, but suddenly Keefe (mistakenly) plays him with the Leafs three best players for a couple weeks and he’s supposed to get term and a raise?

Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but I think saner heads will prevail and he’ll sign on a different team, like say Washington.

TJ Brodie

He has been a star for the Leafs, but he’s old, declining, and slow.  He might or might not still be effective, but I don’t wanna pay to find out. Time for a trade.  I bet he goes to the Edmonton Oilers.

Timothy Liljegren

He could be a star, but not for Sheldon Keefe who doesn’t seem to like him too much.  Keefe’s coming back, so Liljegren will play next year for the Calgary Flames.  

Justin Holl

We know he won’t be back. I predict he’ll play on the Boston Bruins.

Mark Giordano

It was a nice run, but he’s done.  I predict he retires.

Connor Timmins

There is something here. He could be a regular, but he’ll need a coach who believes in him.  I think he’ll go to the  Pittsburgh Penguins.

Erik Gustufsson

It was inexplicable that he was sat out, and so I figure he’ll end up on a team who appreciates him. Let us guess that that team ends up being the L.A Kings.

Ilya Samsonov

He’s fine.  He’s not going to steal you a ton of games and become a star.  He’s reliable and unexciting. Like all NHL goalies, there is a slim chance he randomly becomes the best goalie alive for a year or so, but you certainly can’t bet on it.

Since he’s due for a raise, I’d let him walk.

Since the Leafs new GM is the guy who gave Jacob Markstrom a forty year contract, I predict the Leafs make the big mistake of re-signing him.

Matt Murray

The correct move would be to bring him back.  He can go on the LTIR at will, and when he plays he’s quite good.  You can’t rely on him, but he’s not gonna hurt you. I like both Woll and Kalgren, so I think the smart play is to start Woll, and let Murray back him up.

When Murray gets hurt, bring up Kallgren,

My prediction is that he is bought out and signs with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Joseph Woll

He’s obviously going nowhere, but I really hope the new GM has the guts to make this rookie into a starter.