Toronto Maple Leafs Complete Team and Roster Guide 2023-24
Toronto Maple Leafs Roster Information
Auston Matthews
Age: 26
Height/Weight: 6’3, 208 LBS
Contract: One year remaining with $11.634 Cap Hit. Signed for an addition four years, ending in 2028, with a cap hit of $13.250
Draft: 1st overall, 2016
Acquired: Draft
Position/ Role: #1 Centre, Unanimous 2nd best player alive. Potentially the best player alive, depending on if defense and better 5v5 play overcome Connor McDavid’s insane power-play scoring. Alternate Captain.
Career Highs: 60 Goals, 106 Points in 73 games, in 2021-22
Last Year’s Scoring: 40 Goals 45 Assists 85 Points, 74 Games
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 26 Goals, 52 Points. 2.72 P/60 (Mackinnon led NHL w/ 3.79 P/60 while Matthews’ career best was 3.37 in 2021-22
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 53% ; Shots-For 54%; Scoring-Chances-For 57%
Goals-For 67%, Expected Goals 58%
Status: Franchise Player
Expectations: If he only scores 50 goals it’s a disappointing season. The expectations for Matthews are a goal per game, over 110 points, and the Hart Trophy.
Notes: The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to try and use Auston Matthews on the PK this season.
Mitch Marner
Age: 26 (Born May 5, 1997 from Markham ON)
Height/Weight: 6′, 181 lbs
Current Contract: 2 Years left, expires 24-25 cap hit of $10.903
Draft: 2015 NHL Entry Draft (1st round, 4th overall)
Acquired: Draft
Position/Role: Right Wing, Alternate Captain
Career Highs: Goals – 35 (2021-22), Assists – 69 (2022-23), Points – 99 (2022-23)
Last Year’s Scoring: 80 GP, 30 G, 69 A, 99 PTS
Last Year 5v5 Scoring Rate: 15 Goals, 53 Points. 2.78 (PTS/60)
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Corsi-For 53%; Shots-For % 53%; Scoring-Chances-For 57%; Goals-For 62 % Expected Goals 55%
Status: Among the game’s 10 best players, arguably the best right-winger in the NHL.
Expectations: Should finally crack the 100-point mark this season and lead the Leafs on both special teams’ units.
Notes: In each of the past four seasons, injuries, and games lost to the Pandemic are the only things that have prevented Marner from posting 4 straight 100 point seasons.
Lack of playoff success has hurt his rankings around the league and he has become somewhat underrated.
William Nylander
Age: 27 (Born May 1, 1996 from Calgary AB)
Height/Weight: 6′, 204 LBS
Current Contract: Cap Hit of $6,962,366 that expires at the end of this season.
Draft: 1st round, 8th overall, 2014
Acquired: Draft
Position/Role: Elite Player, Right Wing on second line (first line on most teams), Centre
Career Highs: Goals – 40 (2022-23), Assists – 47 (2022-23), Points – 87 (2022-23),
Last Year’s Scoring: 82 GP, 40 G, 47 A, 87 PTS
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 22 Goals, 49 Points. 2.61 (PTS/60)
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Corsi-For 53%; Shots-For 55%; Scoring-Chances-For 56%;
Goals-For 60%; Expected Goals 56%
Status: The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying him at centre this year. He enters the season in his prime and should repeat last years numbers.
Expectations: Could potentially hit the 50-goal or 50-assist mark this year; will be tried at centre for added flexibility.
Overall, the Leafs expect a game-breaking, elite forward who drives play and helps them advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Notes: Nylander’s contract is up and since the Leafs are weak at defense and strong at forward, there is a possibility of a trade.
John Tavares
Age: 33
Height/Weight: 6’1, 215 LBS
Contract: Two years left, expires end of 2024-25 season. $11 million cap-hit.
Draft: 1st Overall, 2009, New York Islanders
Acquired: Signed as UFA
Role: 2nd Line Centre
Career Highs: 47 Goals, 88 Points, 2018-19 in his first year with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Last Year’s Scoring: 36 goals, 44 assists, 80 points in 80 games.
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 16 Goals 37 Points. 2.09 P/60 (Anything over 2 is first-line scoring)
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 52% ; Shots-For 53%; Scoring-Chances-For 56% Goals-For 53% Expected Goals 54%
Status: #2 Centre on the Toronto Maple Leafs, a #1 on most teams. Tavares hasn’t really slowed much with age, which makes sense because his game was never based on speed.
Expectations: Avoid declining and win a Stanley Cup before his contract expires. Elite players tend to age well, so another 80 points and 35 goals is the expectation.
Notes: The Year Tavares scored 33 5v5 goals he also shot 16% which is way higher than the normal 10%ish shooting that he as mostly done throughout his career.
He is still an elite player and like Marner, the lack of playoff success has hurt his reputation.
A final renaissance year in which he flirts with 50 goals and leads the Leafs to the Stanley Cup is not out of the question.
Max Domi
Age: 28
Height/Weight: 5’10” 208 LBS
Contract: $3 million dollar cap-hit, expires after this season.
Draft: 2013, Arizona Coyotes (12th overall)
Acquired: Free Agency 2023
Role: Top 9 Forward. Likely a winger, but can play centre.
Career Highs: 28 Goals, and 72 points in 82 games with Montreal Canadiens in 2018-2019
Last Year’s Scoring: 18 Goals, 49 Points in 60 Games with the Chicago Blackhawks.
2 Goals, 7 Points in 20 Games with the Dallas Stars
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 7 Goals, 31 Points Combined with both teams. 1.89 P/60 with Chicago and .089 P/60 with Dallas.
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 43% ; Shots-For 43%; Scoring-Chances-For 41% Goals-For 51 % Expected Goals 41% with Chicago.
Corsi-For 52%; Shots-For 52%; Scoring Chances-For 54%; Goals-For 36% Expected-Goals 51% with Dallas.
Status: Top 9 forward role, looking to rejuvenate his career on a one year deal, in hopes of landing more job security. Appears to be starting with Nylander on a high-octane third line.
Expectations: Domi is expected to add secondary scoring to an already dangerous Leafs team. It looks as if he will be in more of a playmaker type role and will look to setup plays on the second powerplay unit and at 5-on-5.
Notes: Domi put up great offensive numbers in Chicago, but his line was caved in while doing it.
On the much better Dallas Stars, he was used more effectively and put up better overall numbers for the team, though he scored much less. If he sticks with Nylander he should be able to do both.
Age: 28
Height/Weight: 6’1, 197 LBS
Contract: One Year, $5.5 million Cap-Hit, Expires after this season.
Draft: 2nd Round, 58th Overall, 2013, Detroit Red Wings
Acquired: Signed UFA
Role: Top Six Power Forward
Career Highs: 30 Goals, 62 Points in 68 games, 21-22
Last Year’s Scoring: 8 Goals, 30 points in 50 games.
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 1.33 P/60 in 29 games with Detroit and 2.33 P/60 in 21 games with the Boston Bruins. Total of 4 Goals and 19 5v5 points combined.
On-Ice 5v5 Stats Detroit: Cori-For 50 % ; Shots-For 52%; Scoring-Chances-For 49%
Goals-For 41% Expected Goals 50%
On-Ice 5v5 Stats Boston: Cori-For 56% ; Shots-For 54%; Scoring-Chances-For 49%
Goals-For 61% Expected Goals 55%
Status: Power-Forward, in his Prime, playing in a contract year, likely to line up with elite player.
Expectations: Sky High.
Notes: Bertuzzi has a lower career-high in penalty minutes than John Tavares does, and he scored on about 25% of his shots last year in the playoffs, despite only scoring eight times in 50 games in the regular season.
He should be an excellent addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it’s going to be hard to match the unfair expectations set by a great, but obviously unsustainable, rate of playoff scoring.
Nick Robertson
Age: 22
Height/Weight: 5’9, 183 LBS
Contract: Final year of Entry Level Deal, $800K Cap-Hit
Draft: 2nd Round, 53rd Overall, 2019
Acquired: Draft
Role: Scoring Winger, if he makes the team.
Career Highs: 2 Goals, 3 Assists for 5 Points in 15 Games 2022-23
Last Year’s Scoring: See Above
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 1 Goal 4 Points, 1.68 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 50% ; Shots-For 49%; Scoring-Chances-For 53% Goals-For 55 % Expected Goals 50%
Status: Robertson has had horrible injury luck and has played sparingly the last few years. He has a motor that doesn’t stop and an elite shot. If healthy he is a key component of this team because they are desperate for quality players on cheap contracts.
Expectations: Low. Robertson just has to stay healthy and contribute. At this point, anything he does is found-money.
Notes: Since 1990 every player who scored as much as he scored, at his age, in the OHL, has a 40 goal NHL season to their name. If he can stay healthy his potential is that he can be a star player.
An exceptional preseason showing or an injury to a forward higher on the depth chart is probably necessary for Robertson to start the season with the Leafs. He is likely ticketed for the Toronto Marlies to start the year.
No matter where Robertson starts the season, he needs to stay healthy. He has been the recipient of misfortune related to injury.
To start his career he has already dealt with significant injuries to his shoulder, leg, and groin along with a concussion. The missed time has taken away important development opportunities and hindered his chance to establish himself as an NHL regular.
Robertson needs to prove to the Leafs he can be relied on. He has reached a point in his tenure with the Leafs where he can remain healthy and provide offensive production, otherwise, he will be surpassed by other recently drafted prospects such as Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, and Easton Cowan.
David Kampf
Age: 28
Height/Weight: 6’2, 197 LBS
Contract: 4 Years, beginning this year. Cap Hit of $2.4 Million.
Draft: Undrafted
Acquired: Signed as UFA in 2021
Role: Defensive Centre
Career Highs: 11 Goals in 21-22, 27 Points in 22-23.
Last Year’s Scoring: 7 Goals, 20 Assists, 27 Points.
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 7 Goals, 16 Assists, 23 Points. 1.38 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 48% ; Shots-For 50%; Scoring-Chances-For 49%;
Goals-For 40 % Expected Goals 48%
Status: Overrated defensive player signed to extremely bad contract, the likes of which the Toronto Maple Leafs did not sign under Kyle Dubas.
Expectations: Absolutely none.
Notes: Kampf, when paired with Pierre Engvall, was able to shut-down other team’s star players. This was extremely helpful, but without Engvall he struggled.
The Leafs should not play him on the third line, ever. He is a fourth line centre and has no upside. He should not have been signed to anything beyond a single year at the league minimum.
If you want to look at the source of the Leafs cap troubles, start with this dubious signing.
Matthew Knies
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 6’3″ 217LBS
Contract: $925,000 Cap Hit, expires after next season.
Draft: Second Round, 57th Overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Acquired: Draft
Role: Scoring Line Power Forward. Leafs hoping he can replace at least some of the value they were getting from Michael Bunting for $900K.
Career Highs: Hobey Baker nomination in NCAA. Only has 3 career regular season games but does have 4 points in 7 career playoff games.
Last Year’s Scoring: 1Assist in 3 games
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 1.66 P/60 in the Regular Season, and 2.8 P/60 in the Playoffs.
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Sample SIze is too small to worry about, however 59% Expected Goals in the regular season and 60% Expected Goals in the Playoffs is impressive.
Status: Power Forward with incredibly high ceiling, made that much better by who he figures to play with. NHL ready prospect.
Expectations: Knies is expected to bring energy to the Leafs top 6. Expect him to dig pucks out of corners and use his strength to win battles.
Notes: Matthew Knies has been a promising prospect for the Leafs and has developed more every year. Now taking the jump to a full-time NHL role, he will look to cling onto a job. I expect him to develop his defensive game as well and quickly adapt to the NHL game, limiting his defensive mistakes.
Calle Jarnkrok
Age: 32
Height/Weight: 6′, 192 LBS
Contract: $2.1 Cap-Hit, Expires in 2026, 2 more seasons after this one. Modified NTC
Draft: 51st overall, 2nd round, 2010 by the Detroit Red Wings
Acquired: Signed UFA 2022
Role: Useful scoring winger
Career Highs: 20 Goals, 39 Points, 73 Games in 2022-23
Last Year’s Scoring: See Above
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 16 Goals, 29 Points. 2.14 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 50% ; Shots-For 51%; Scoring-Chances-For 52% Goals-For 56% Expected Goals 52%
Status: Trade Bait
Expectations: Low; to be traded.
Notes: Jarnkrok had a career year last year at age 31. That is extremely rare, and rarer still would be repeating it.
Jarnkrok can’t be counted on to repeat, and with younger Toronto Maple Leafs demanding ice-time, and the team being over the cap, he is an obvious choice to be moved.
That said, he’s a useful player and his contract has a lower cap hit in exchange for the extra years, which was a smart move by Dubas.
Unlike Kampf, Jarnkrok is actually worth his cap-hit, so the four years for him made sense.
Pontus Holmberg
Age: 24
Height/Weight: 6′, 202 LBS
Contract: $800 K Cap-Hit, Expires after next season.
Draft: 6th Round, 156 Overall, 2018 NHL Entry Draft
Acquired: Draft
Role: 4th Line Checking Centre with Potential.
Career Highs: 5 Goals, 13 Points in 37 Games 2022-23
Last Year’s Scoring: See Above
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 4 Goals, 8 Assists, 2.0 P /60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 48% ; Shots-For 49%; Scoring-Chances-For 51% Goals-For 52 % Expected Goals 49%
Status: Likely regular, may be in battle to make team as Nylander pushes Kampf to 4C and there may not be a spot for him.
Expectations: Win a job and improve on strong rookie performance.
Notes: Holmberg’s potential makes the Kampf deal even worse, which shouldn’t be possible because it’s atrocious already. Holmberg pretty much broke even last year overall, and the team ended up winning his minutes and additionally, he scored at an excellent rate.
If he doesn’t make the team out of camp, it’s not his fault and he’ll be be one of the first call-ups as soon as an injury occurs.
Ryan Reaves
Age: 36
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 225 LBS
Contract: $1.35 million Cap-Hit, expires after the 2025-26 season.
Draft: 5th Round, 156 Overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2005
Acquired: UFA
Role: Ryan Reaves will fill the unnecessary and superfluous role of enforcer.
Career Highs: 9 Goals and 18 points in 2018-19 for the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Last Year’s Scoring: 5 Goals and 15 Points over 73 Games with the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild, though he didn’t score a single point with New York.
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 5 Goals 15 Points. 0.53 P/60 with the Wild, 0 P/60 with the Rangers.
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 46% ; Shots-For 46%; Scoring-Chances-For 45% Goals-For 51% Expected Goals 48%
Status: Significantly overpaid role player.
Expectations: Couldn’t be lower
Notes: While I’m sure all the stuff about what a great guy Ryan Reaves is true, and that that will slightly help the Leafs in some small way, it is never going to be worth giving three years and going beyond the league minimum for a player that loses his minutes.
It has been three seasons since Reaves posted an expected-goals rating over 50%, and now that he is 36 he isn’t going to get any better.
This was a bizarre and indefensible signing.
Sam Lafferty
Age: 28
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 195 LBS
Contract: $1.15 Cap Hit that expires after this season.
Draft: 4th Round, 113 Overall, Pittsburgh Penguins
Acquired: In the Jake McCabe trade with Chicago last year.
Role: 4th line winger
Career Highs: 12 Goals, 27 Points in 70 Games last year split between Leafs/ Hawks
Last Year’s Scoring: See Above
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 8 Goals, 20 Points total. 1.36 P/60 Chicago 1.71 P/60 Toronto
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Hawks: Cori-For 46% ; Shots-For 45%; Scoring-Chances-For 44%
Goals-For 36 % Expected Goals 43%
Leafs Cori-For 41% ; Shots-For 44%; Scoring-Chances-For 44%
Goals-For 50% Expected Goals 42%
Status: Replacement Player
Expectations: Likely to be swapped out for someone who makes the league minimum.
Notes: Lafferty is fast but he is not effective. He and Reaves are going to get destroyed on the fourth line and I doubt he is on the team for long. At no point in his NHL career has Lafferty demonstrated an ability to help his team 5v5. There are cheaper and better prospect options on the roster.
Update: Sam Lafferty has since been traded to the Vancouver Canucks.
Dylan Gambrell
Age: 27
Height/Weight: 6′, 185 LBS
Contract: $775 K cap-hit, expires end of this season.
Draft: 2nd Round, 60th overall, 2016, San Jose Sharks.
Acquired: UFA
Role: Depth Forward
Career Highs: 5 Goals, 12 Points in 49 Games 2020-21 Sharks
Last Year’s Scoring: 4 Goals, 10 Points 60 Games, Ottawa Senators
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 4 Goals, 10 Points 0.88 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 38% ; Shots-For 40%; Scoring-Chances-For 36% Goals-For 31% Expected Goals 34%
Status: AHL Player
Expectations: For me to figure out why the Leafs signed him.
Notes: When the Toronto Maple Leafs already have Alex Steeves, Nick Abruzzese, Pontus Holmberg, Nick Robertson, Kyle Clifford and several other borderline NHL options, why they decided to give a 27 year old who has posted only atrocious numbers is beyond me.
Why that contract would be guaranteed and not a PTO or a two-way deal is a further mystery.
Like Reaves, Domi and Klingberg, Gambrell’s signing is mysterious because he doesn’t have any recent history of winning his 5v5 minutes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made an annoying habit of blocking their prospects with mid-range fringe NHLers (Malgin, Ritchie, Lafferty) for years.
Morgan Rielly
Age: 29 (Turns 30 this season)
Height/Weight: 6′ 1″, 222 LBS
Current Contract: $7.5 Million Cap-Hit. 8 years, Expires in 2030
Draft: 2012 NHL Entry Draft (1st round, 5th overall)
Acquired: Draft
Role: Defenseman / Alternate. Possibly miscast, at this point, as a #1 Defenseman.
Captain Career Highs: Goals – 20 (2018-19), Assists – 58 (2021-22), Points – 72 (2018-19)
Last Year’s Scoring: 65 GP, 4 G, 37 A, 41 PTS
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 65 GP, 3 G, 16 A, 19 PTS. 1.05 (PTS/60)
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Corsi-For % – 51%; Shots-For % – 51%; Scoring-Chances-For % – 52%; Goals-For % – 51%; Expected Goals % – 51%
Status: Current #1 defenseman. May lose top power-play role to Klingberg.
Active Expectations: Looking to rebound from a down year in 2022-23 by building on the momentum from an excellent playoffs.
The problem with Rielly is that he’s got an incredibly high cap hit for a 30 year-old second pairing defenseman. Hopefully he can find another year or two of elite production, but his defense isn’t compensated much by just one point per 60 minutes of 5v5 ice-time.
Playoff Rielly is worth every penny, but at this point it’s hard to know what you’re going to get. The Leafs would be a lot better if Rielly wasn’t counted on to be their top guy.
T.J Brodie
Age: 33
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 187 LBS
Contract: $5 million cap-hit, expires after this year. Has modified no-movement clause.
Draft: 4th round 114th overall, 2008, Calgary Flames
Acquired: UFA
Role: Top pairing right-side defender on hopeful Cup Contender.
Career Highs: 11 Goals in 2014-15. 39 Assists and 45 Points in 2015-16
Last Year’s Scoring: 14 Points in 58 Games.
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 13 Points, 0.77 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 52% ; Shots-For54%; Scoring-Chances-For 56%
Goals-For 54% Expected Goals 56%
Status: Looks to be paired with Morgan Rielly on the Toronto Maple Leafs “top pairing.”
Expectations: The expectations seem to be extremely low for Brodie. He had a rough playoffs paired with McCabe but he did post good stats, if not results.
Based on his stats last year he should continue to be a borderline star player whose team always wins when he plays. Then again, he’s 33 so who knows.
The Leafs are moving him back with Rielly, but while that may work, and certainly it did last year, it’s a weak top-pairing for a contender.
Notes: If Brodie starts playing like his age, the Leafs are going to be in trouble.
Timothy Liljegren
Age: 24
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 192 LBS
Contract: $1.4 million cap-hit, expires after this season.
Draft: 17th overall, 2017 by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Acquired: Draft
Role: Depth Defenseman who should be / has a chance to play higher in the lineup.
Career Highs: 23 Points in 61 games 2021-22
Last Year’s Scoring: 6 Goals, 18 Points
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 5 Goals, 13 Points. 0.76 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 51 % ; Shots-For 53%; Scoring-Chances-For 54%
Goals-For 62% Expected Goals 53%
Status: He should be in his prime, and he should be a full-time top-four players, but even though he has ABSOLUTEY CRUSHED 3rd pairing minutes the last two years, the coach hasn’t trusted him in the playoffs, where he has been mostly healthy-scratched.
Expectations: Just based off of the fact that the coach has never trusted him in important games, very low. Based off what my eyes see and what the stats say, he could be a solid top pairing defender.
Notes: Liljegren is a good defender who can move the puck. He isn’t very physically imposing, but he’s also not a total wallflower.
I still expect him to be very good, but the way Keefe has used him makes me doubt my analysis, since you figured he’d know!
Jake McCabe
Age: 30
Height/Weight: 6;1″, 204 LBS
Contract: $4 million cap-hit, but the Leafs are only responsible for half of that. Contact expires after next season.
Draft: 44th Overall, 2nd Round, 2012 Buffalo Sabres.
Acquired: Trade with the Chicago Blackhawks last season
Role: Top Four left-side defender.
Career Highs: 4 Goals with Chicago in 2021-22. 25 Points last year, split between Chicago and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Last Year’s Scoring: 2 Goals, 20 Points in 55 games with Chicago.
1 Goal, 5 Points in 21 Games with Toronto.
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 16 Points, 1.04 P/60 with Chicago
5 Points 0.86 P/60 with Toronto
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Chicago: Cori-For 47% ; Shots-For 47%; Scoring-Chances-For 45%
Goals-For 51 % Expected Goals 46%
Toronto Cori-For 52% ; Shots-For 55%; Scoring-Chances-For 55%
Goals-For 71 % Expected Goals 53%
Status: 2nd Pairing left-side defenseman. Mystery Player.
Expectations: Hard to Say.
Notes: On one hand, Jake McCabe is a physical, puck-moving, defensive/offensive hybrid who specializes in clearing the crease. He has demonstrated the ability to post star-level numbers and could easily be a very good second player on a top pairing. His $2 million cap-hit could make him one of the NHL’s most valuable players.
On the other hand, his playoffs were horrendous. It could be that pairing him with TJ Brodie was just too slow of a pairing, but who knows? If he had played well in the playoffs, I think this Leafs blue-line would be viewed in a much better light. This could go either way.
Mark Giordano
Age: 40
Height/Weight: 6’0″ 202lb
Contract: $800,000 x 1
Draft: Undrafted
Acquired: March 20, 2022 (trade)
Role: 6th-7th D
Career Highs: 2018-19 Norris Trophy, 2019-20 Mark Messier Leadership Award, all-time leader in blocked shots.
Last Year’s Scoring: 4 Goals, 20 Assists, 24 Points in 78 games.
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: 2 Goals, 21 Points, 1.04 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Cori-For 51% ; Shots-For 54%; Scoring-Chances-For 55%,
Goals-For 59%, Expected Goals 55%
Status: Currently the Leafs 6th defenseman. Nearing the end of his career
Expectations: Giordano played almost every game last season, and while the effort is there, the age is starting to show more and more.
After truly crushing his 3rd pairing sheltered minutes paired with Timothy Liljegren during the vast majority of the regular season, Giordano struggled in the playoffs where he not only lost his minutes, but was out and out destroyed with the Leafs losing 11-4 when he skated during the playoffs.
He will try to rebound this season, hopefully with more nights off, so he’s ready to be a contributor come playoff time.
Notes: Giordano has had quite a successful career and this could very well be in the last year of his career. He’s a shot-blocking machine and will look to maintain a spot but even that isn’t guaranteed at this point.
John Klingberg
Age: 31 (Born August 14, 1992 from Gothenburg, Sweden)
Height/Weight: 6’3″, 190 LBS
Current Contract: $4,150,000 cap hit, expires after this season.
Draft: 131st overall, 5th Round, 2010, Dallas Stars
Acquired: UFA
Position/Role: Defenseman borderline top-four/bottom-pairing.
Career Highs: 13 Goals (2016-17), 59 Assists (2017-18), 67 Points (2017-18)
Last Year’s Scoring: 10 Goals and 33 Points in 67 Games
Last Year 5v5 Scoring/ Rate: Anaheim Ducks: 5 Goals, 14 Points in 50 Games. 0.97 P/60
Minnesota Wild: 1 Goal, 5 Points in 17 Games. 1.15 P/60
On-Ice 5v5 Stats: Anaheim: Corsi-For 43%; Shots-For 40%; Scoring-Chances-For 41%;
Goals-For 36%; Expected Goals 38%
Minnesota: Corsi-For 44%; Shots-For 43%; Scoring-Chances-For 46%;
Goals-For 63%; Expected Goals 44%
Status: Coming off a training camp injury, likely ready to start season.
Expectations: Since he was the only real upgrade to the Leafs blue-line this season, expectations are quite high.
Notes: 31 year-old NHL players who have shown extreme declines rarely bounce back to what they were, so it’s unlikely Klingberg will ever 67 points border-line superstar from 2017 ever again. That said, his skillset could fit in nicely with the Leafs talent and so a career resurgence is not impossible.
Ilya Samsonov
Age: 26 (Turns 27 in February).
Height/Weight: 6’3″, 214 LBS
Contract: $3.5 Million cap-hit, expires after this season.
Draft: 1st Round, 22nd Overall, Washington Capitals 2015
Acquired: UFA
Role: Starting Goalie
Career Highs: 44 Games 21-22. 27 Wins, .919 Save Percentage, 2.30 GAA, 4 Shutouts 22-23
Last Year’s Stats: 42 Games, 27 Wins, .919 Save Percentage, 2.30 GAA, 4 Shutouts.
Last Year 5v5 Stats: .9274 5v5 Save Percentage 8th best among any goalie playing at least 1000 minutes.
Expectations: To be a star goalie on a top team.
Notes: For the cap-hit, considering his experience and upside, there aren’t too many goalies you’d rather have in the NHL, where there are only maybe four or five who are good every season.
That said, due to the unpredictability of the position, you don’t really know what you’re going to get with Samsonov. He could once again be a top goalie, but there are no guarantees outside of Vasilevskiy, Hellebuyck and Sorokin.
Joseph Woll
Age: 25
Height/Weight: 6’3″, 203 LBS
Contract: $766K Cap Hit, Expiries at the end of next season.
Draft: 3rd Round, 62nd Overall, 2016 Draft, Toronto Maple Leafs
Acquired: Draft
Role: Backup Goalie
Career Highs: 2.16 GAA .932 Save Percentage in 7 Games 2022-23
Last Year’s Scoring: See Above
Last Year 5v5 Save Percentage: .9308
Status: The Toronto Maple Leafs Top Prospect is looking to win the net and become an NHL starter.
Expectations: Provide solid backup goaltending and potentially steal the net.
Notes: Woll was amazing last year at every level. There is no way to know if he will keep it up, but if he does the Toronto Maple Leafs will have their first homegrown starting goalie since Felix Potvin.
Next. How Bad Drafting Sabotaged the Leafs Cup Window. dark
Note that this post will be updated and added to through the season.