Toronto Maple Leafs 2023-24 Newcomers' Expectations: Update

Since Brad Treliving took over the role as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager in June of last year, he has made quite a few moves to put his mark on the club.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had more than a few spots to fill and with over $15 million available, they certainly used it. Treliving was quite active in free agency, spending a whopping $16.325 million on unrestricted free agents (UFAs) within the first week.

He signed players like John Klingberg, Ryan Reaves, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi. They have all been staples in the lineup at some point throughout the season.

 Before the beginning of this season, I wrote realistic expectations for the newcomers. As we enter the halfway mark of the 2023-24 campaign, I felt it would be a good time to revisit these projections and see how each player has faired thus far.

Before we begin, I want to mention that he has also signed a few players that have featured in roles to varying degrees this season. Most notably, Noah Gregor and Martin Jones. However, I will only be speaking about the four main players that I made predictions for over the summer.

Max Domi

Projection: 50 points So Far: 23 points.

Treliving signed max Domi on July 2nd to a one-year contract worth $3 million. He has seemingly cemented himself as the teams third line center behind star forwards Auston Matthews and John Tavares. He has most commonly found himself paired with Nick Robertson and Calle Jarnkrok and unsurprisingly they are the third-best line in terms of expected goals and actual goal production.

Honestly, I am surprised how close I was to this projection. Domi currently has 23 points in 42 games, pacing him at 45 points on the year. His recently found chemistry with the team has caused an uptick in production with nine points over his last 15. If he can maintain or improve on this pace, he could very well reach the 50 point mark by game 82.

Domi's advanced stats paint a much worse picture. Though the Leafs have won his minutes overall - due to extreme sheltering from Sheldon Keefe - he has a 48% Expected Goal Rating. He's useful when deployed properly, but it isn't idea to have to shelter your 3C so much.