Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Key Takeaways Heading Into Opening Night

No. 3: Leafs System is Stacked

Although we seem to worry about the current state of the Leafs and whether or not the team will re-sign William Nylander, they should be pretty excited about the future of the roster.

Though the Leafs had a terrible time drafting players during the seasons where they were rewarded with high picks, since 2018 their drafting has been quite excellent.

If preseason has taught us anything, it’s that there are a handful of players who could turn into top-six forwards with this squad, sooner than later.

For example, Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies are both NHL ready and will look to make a difference this season, but there are two other young players who could be there soon.

Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan looked fantastic during preseason and could be ready for the NHL as soon as next year.

Both players will be sent back to junior, as they’re still eligible to play there, but Leafs fans should be super excited about them.

Coming off a 31 goal and 67 point season, Minten will look to crush those numbers this year with the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL.

Cowan, who’s a year younger than Minten, should use the 2023-24 season to build momentum for next year, as his London Knights will once again be a favorite to not only win the OHL Championship but compete for the Memorial Cup.