Every season, the Toronto Maple Leafs try their best to field the most competitive team they could have on their roster to give them a reasonable shot at making the playoffs, along with potentially winning the Stanley Cup that has eluded them for so many years.
But in order for the Toronto Maple Leafs to be successful, the key part is being able to have players during their prime and dominant years so that they could be playing most effectively in helping the club to their success as much as possible.
There’s no doubt that their current “core four” consisting of superstars Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander have all been going strong and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon, especially with the way they have jumped out of the gate this year.
Even John Tavares has miraculously been holding off the effects of time, and seems equal today to the player he was when he was with the Islanders.
For the rest of the group, there are some players that seem to be getting better by the day, such as Matthew Knies and his recent two-goal game in helping the Leafs come back to beat their arch rivals Tampa Bay Lightning.
However, at the same time, there may be some players that may seemingly be headed in the wrong direction and could perhaps see a decline in their play for the 2023-24 season.
This should come as no surprise on a team whose blue-line has five 30 year-olds, and even has the oldest player in the NHL.
Here, we take a look at three potential Toronto Maple Leafs players that could be in for a rough ride this year if their current playing circumstances do not change in the near future.