Toronto Maple Leafs Need More From These 5 Players

The Toronto Maple Leafs made significant changes to their lineup this off-season. Some of the players brought in will benefit from playing with Auston Matthews or John Tavares. However, some will need to step up their game to take pressure off the team’s top guys.

Not everyone new to the Toronto Maple Leafs needs to step up their game. Some were on the team last season, while others have been here longer.

For the team to replace the scoring output lost during free agency this summer, they need everyone to perform well.

No matter where a player finds himself in the lineup, he must find a way to produce offense.

With the changes made by other teams in the Atlantic Division, the Leafs have a good chance of winning the division.

Doing so will be a complete team effort.

It might sound cliché, but the team that scores the most goals wins the game. As simple as that sounds, the Leafs struggled with scoring at times last season. There were too many games where they lost by a goal or lost to a team they should have easily beaten. Those are some of the adjustments the team needs to make to be on top.

Of course, having a healthy Auston Matthews for the entire year will make a huge difference, but with the salary cap situation the Leafs are going to need good seasons from some of their cheaper players.

Here is a look at the five players the Toronto Maple Leafs need more from during the 2023-24 NHL regular season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Need More From These 5 Players

Sam Lafferty

Sam Lafferty joined the Toronto Maple Leafs at the NHL trade deadline last season.

With the Leafs, Lafferty registered two goals and four assists for six points in 19 games. He recorded 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 70 games between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Leafs. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Lafferty will play in the Toronto Maple Leafs bottom six for most or all of the 2023-24 season. He will play on the wing for the third line and should get time on the Leafs  penalty kill. His average ice time last season was 14:37 and will get a similar amount this season. Lafferty had four short-handed goals last season, so he is a good scoring threat on the penalty kill.

Should he not live up to expectations this season, Lafferty’s $1.15 million contract should make him easy to trade, with him also being a pending Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) next summer.

He played well for the Leafs in the playoffs last season with three points in nine games, 66.7% FO%, and 23 hits. More points would have been helpful, but his role was to be successful without the puck, and he did that. (Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)

Expectations for Lafferty this season: 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points, along with 40 blocked shots, 135 hits, and a 53% FO%.

Nick Robertson

Nick Robertson’s young career is not going the way he or the Toronto Maple Leafs expected.

With one injury after another, he has never been able to play more than 15 games a season. Last season he registered five points in 15 games. Over three seasons with the Leafs, Robertson has recorded seven points in 31 games.

There is no indication yet if Robertson will be healthy when the season starts, but according to capfriendly.com, he is currently on injured reserve.

Due to his history with injuries, there is no telling what Robertson can do at the NHL level if he were to play at least half a season (41 games). He had great OHL stats before turning pro, but we’ve yet to see him transition into a full-time NHL player.

If he can become even half as good as his older brother Jason Robertson, then the Toronto Maple Leafs have a player worth holding onto.

This season is Robertson’s last under his entry-level contract (ELC). Due to his injuries and lack of games played should make him easy to re-sign if the Leafs don’t give up on him before then.

It’s too difficult to put together a proper expectation for Robertson, so I’ll base my expectations on him playing half a season of 41 games. He will record eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points, along with 15 blocked shots and 40 hits.

Calle Jarnkrok

Calle Jarnkrok had a career season last season with 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points in 73 games.

However, when the top guys are not scoring, Jarnkrok is one of the players the team looks to for secondary scoring.

With the off-season additions of Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, Jarnkrok may get less playing time this season. He will need to make the most out of his ice time.

The 31-year-old Jarnkrok is entering the second year of his four-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is a valuable player who can move up and down the lineup and play wherever needed.

Jarnkrok has an incredible shot but needs to use it more often. Considering that he might play more in the bottom six than the top six this season, he will need to make the most out of his shooting opportunities.

He doesn’t need to improve upon last season’s stats very much, but he needs to try and achieve the same or similar stats with potentially less ice time.

He averaged 14:23 last season, and that could drop by a whole minute or more this season. I’m sure he’ll still get a few looks in the top six occasionally, depending on injuries and other factors.

Expect him to showcase why he belongs in the top six and not the bottom six when given the opportunity.

Expectations for Jarnkrok this season are 18 goals and 20 assists for 38 points in 75 games, along with 20 blocked shots and 55 hits.

Timothy Liljegren

Timothy Liljegren is entering his third full season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last season he registered six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in 67 games. He had 23 points in 61 games the previous season. The Leafs need Liljegren to take the next step and earn a bigger role on their blueline.

Liljegren has all the tools to be a good defenseman for the Leafs for years to come.

This season is a chance for him to climb the mountain a little higher. The 24-year-old has a very high ceiling and is still learning.

He has an opportunity this season to earn a regular spot in the top two defense pairings. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing on the top pair with Morgan Rielly occasionally.

With the 2023-24 season being the final year on the contracts for T.J. Brodie, John Klingberg, and Giordano, Liljegren has to prove to the coaching staff and management that they can trust him to claim the playing time of one of those departing players.

The 2023-24 season could prove to be a pivotal one for Liljegren and his future with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Expectations for Liljegren this season should be eight goals and 20 assists for 28 points in 82 games, along with 105 blocked shots and 120 hits.