Every year, new players seemingly come out of nowhere and make a name for themselves. Sometimes, it's someone who has had a solid career but a career season makes them a household name across the league. It could also be a player in a new situation who makes the best of a new opportinity. While some breakout players will standout more than others league wide, every team has a few players each year who step up their game and we are here to dive into who those players could be for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Matthew Knies
If you are reading this and thinking, didn't Matthew Knies just have something of a breakout season? Well, you aren't entirely wrong. His 58 points (29g, 29a) was a 23 point increase from his previous season, he saw consistent first line minutes and built a name for himself across the league. There's a reason Toronto signed him to a six year, $7.75m per year contract.
Part of that reason is what Knies has done in Toronto. He made his way up to the first line in just his first two years in the league and earned the trust of the franchise. That said, they didn't just sign in for what he has done, but what he can still do.
Last season, he was the third offensive option on the line. With the departure of Mitch Marner this offseason, one can only expect him to take a step up as the second option on offense with Auston Matthews at centre. Should Matthews return to his goalscoring form, it isn't entirely unrealistic to see Knies reach 50+ assists. If Knies improves his scoring touch himself and stays healthy, he could very well have a point-per-game season.
The Arizona native recently received an invite to team USA's Olympic camp. No matter where that goes, it could be extra motivation for Knies. If he makes the team, it could be a great mental boost. If he doesn't that could put a chip on his shoulder to prove team USA wrong for passing up on him.
Knies is also just 22 years old. It's fair to say that he is still a few years away from his prime. That said, the likelihood is that he will only go up from where he is now, and could very well make even more of a household name for himself this season than he already has.
Matias Maccelli
In their first trade of the offseason, the Maple Leafs traded a conditional 2027 3rd round pick to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for 24-year-old winger Matias Maccelli. The forward is coming off of a down season, with just 18 points (8g, 10a) in 55 games. He didn't have much opportunity to prove himself in the latter half of the season, playing in just three of their last 26 games of the season.
Despite having a poor season last year, Maccelli has shown some promise in his career. He had 49 points (11g, 38a) in 64 games in the 2022-23 season, followed by 57 points (17g, 40a) in 82 games in 2023-24, which was just his second and third years in the league.
Those are promising playmaking numbers for a young player especially on a weaker Arizona Coyotes team. Maccelli could see first line minutes and his playmaking style could mesh perfectly with a player like Auston Matthews. Even if he doesn't play on the first line, he will be in and around the top-6 and playing with guys like William Nylander and John Tavares could have the same benefits.
Maccelli heads into the season with a chip on his shoulder as well. After all, he is coming off of a down year, on a new team, in the toughest media market in the league. He kind of has to have a chip on his shoulder coming into the season, and he is ready to prove the doubters wrong. Stating in an interview with Sportsnet, "I still know I'm a better player than I was ... I've still got it in me. Now, I've just got to show people that again."
The newly acquired Leaf has been training to bring his best self to Toronto as well.
"I've been working a lot this summer on my game, more than maybe the previous years ... Just have to be comfortable again with the puck and make plays and all that kind of stuff. I've been definitely putting the work in this summer and am ready to go."
Entering the season with his new team, Maccelli has a great opportunity to translate that offseason work to a standout year.
Dakota Joshua
Unlike previous players in this article, Dakota Joshua likely won't be in the top 6 for Toronto this season. He isn't a prolific scorer, with a career high of 32 points in the 2023-24 season. However, offense isn't what Toronto went out and got him for.
One thing that Toronto has lacked over the years is grit. While they have gotten tougher as a team over the years, you can never have too much grit on a hockey team. Standing at 6'2, 206 lbs, Joshua is hard on the forecheck, a physical player and looks to be on a potential matchup nightmare third line alongside Nicolas Roy and Bobby McMann.
Going to a whole new organization with a different system, roster and coaches can be stressful, but it certainly helps when you are already familiar with some staff in the system, especially the head coach. This is the case with Joshua, who spent his first couple of seasons in the league under Berube with the St Louis Blues, and had great things to say about his reunited bench boss in an interview on Leafs Morning Take.
“He’s a great guy and great coach. He was the one who kind of gave me my first shot in the league and I’ll forever be thankful to him for that. It was nice to see how he ran the team and obviously makes it that much more exciting to join and play for him again. Familiarity goes a long way.”
Being back with his old coach in a system that helps out his play style certainly gives Joshua a good avenue to having a career year in Toronto.