The Toronto Maple Leafs have been putting together a solid 2024-25 NHL season thus far. They are currently tied for first in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers with a 21-12-2 record, as well as among the top five teams in the league, what more can they ask for.
Well, the Toronto Maple Leafs shouldn’t be just satisfied with what they have accomplished to date. In fact, they should continue to look for ways to make themselves even better. That way, the Leafs could become an unstoppable force by the time the NHL playoffs rolls around.
With that, the Maple Leafs should look to fulfill their holiday wish list to ensure sustained success for the rest of the season. So what particular important items would be found on such a list?
Let’s take a closer look.
What Should Be on the Toronto Maple Leafs Holiday Wish List This Season
1. Good Health
The absolute number one thing on the Maple Leafs wish list should be health, health and more good health. Since the start of the 2024-25 NHL regular season, the Leafs have constantly seen some of their key players be met with injury woes. Whether it be their goalies Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz, or their stars Auston Matthews, Max Pacioretty and Max Domi, or even the role players in Calle Jarnkrok, David Kampf, Bobby McMann and Ryan Reaves, none of them were able to avoid the injury plague.
Somehow, the Leafs managed to keep winning despite almost having half of their lineup in the infirmary. But if this keeps up for an entire season, it will eventually take a toll on the rest of the players as well. Therefore, may good health finally find its way to the group and allow the Leafs to ultimately field the best lineup possible.
2. Better Power Play
During the time when Matthews was out, the Leafs power play appeared to have found some new life, as they were hitting frequently in consecutive games. However, since the offensive outburst with the man advantage, their overall effectiveness has plateaued once again in recent weeks. For the season, the Maple Leafs are converting 20% of their chances, which sounds solid enough. But at that rate, they currently rank just 19th in the league in that category.
When the Stanley Cup playoffs begin, special teams could play a huge role in determining whether a team makes it through or not. Without a more potent and consistent power play, the Leafs could meet the same fate that they encountered for much of the past few seasons, which was an early playoff exit. So let’s hope that they finally figure out a formula that works and power them to victory.
3. A Big Trade to Put Them Over the Top
The Leafs may look quite good already, but they still seem to be lacking that killer instinct or big difference maker to make them crazy good. As a result, to reach that next level, what the team needs is a massive trade that could put them over the top.
Whether it be adding an impactful player down the middle to shore up their center depth, or an elite defender to bolster their blueline, it needs to be someone that drastically moves the needle.
So we are talking about Mark Giordano, Luke Schenn or Ryan O’Reilly level, and not Tomas Plekanec, Colin Blackwell or Brian Boyle level. Previous trade rumors that have circulated that included the likes of Nazem Kadri, Brock Nelson, or even Sidney Crosby would certainly fit the bill. So it should be something that would not only wow the fans, but also the actual team as well to give them that much-needed boost in winning mentality. (All stats from NHL.com)
As a result, the Leafs need to start checking these items off their wish list soon if they want to finally make 2025 the year they hoist the Stanley Cup.