For the past few years, despite the usual “core four” anchoring the Toronto Maple Leafs offence, the team usually looks for some breakout players that can help provide some secondary scoring, along with making a difference to lead the team to success.
Two years ago, it was Michael Bunting and Ilya Mikheyev that provided the Toronto Maple Leafs with the extra boost in offence.
Primarily playing alongside the dynamic duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Bunting would end up with 23 goals, 40 assists for 63 points, and even challenged for the Calder Trophy at the end of the year.
In the case of Mikheyev, he also shined for the Leafs, potting a career-high 20 goals and becoming a key member of the team’s penalty kill.
Just this past season, Calle Jarnkrok had his best year of his career, despite playing mainly on the third line for the Leafs.
He set his career-high in goals with 20 and points with 39 in 73 games played, and began to display his lethal shot more often that most people never really noticed before.
Three most likely candidates to have a breakout season for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24
So which players will have the best chance to produce a breakout season for the Leafs this year? Here, we take a closer look at three possible candidates and why they may be destined for a career year in 2023-24.