The Toronto Maple Leafs officially kick off their NHL season on Wednesday, Oct. 11, against their arch-rival Montreal Canadiens. This time of the year is like Christmas morning, especially with all 32 NHL teams finalizing their rosters – the waiver wire is always very active and we see trades to clear cap space to be cap-compliant before the start of the season. Here’s a look at what the Maple Leafs did this preseason to finalize their roster for the 2023–24 NHL season.
2 Surprises Were Sent to the AHL
Pontus Holmberg finds himself the odd man out and will head to the Toronto Marlies to try and make an impact. However, he could be called upon early as a replacement down the middle if the Maple Leafs send rookie Fraser Minten back to the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) after his nine-game trial – those nine games will used as a showcase, and the club will then have to decide if they want to burn a year of his entry-level contract (ELC) and keep him or send him back to the WHL. If they do send him back, it wouldn’t be shocking if Holmberg got the call to fill a center spot on the team.
Nick Robertson failed to make the Maple Leafs out of training camp again. Unfortunately, Robertson will start the year in the AHL. Similar to Holmberg, Robertson could see himself back in the NHL very early this season; however, that is going to require a ton of effort from him to show that he is still a valuable piece to the team. He will also need to stay healthy this season, which he has struggled to do since turning pro in 2019–20.
2 Surprises Made the Maple Leafs
Fraser Minten made all members of Leafs Nation very excited for the future when it was announced that he made the team. Along with Easton Cowan and Matthew Knies, they have shown the fanbase that the future is bright, which, along with the core group, will extend the championship window for the organization.
Minten was a surprise with his standout performance this preseason, and if he can keep it up, he could last longer than the nine games this season. The chemistry between Knies and Minten has Leafs Nation on the edge of their seats, and they are expected to be on the third line and could do some damage.
Related: Toronto Maple Leafs’ Top-20 Goal Scorers All-Time
Noah Gregor signed an NHL deal with the Maple Leafs after coming to camp on a professional tryout (PTO). This means the end of Cowan’s time, and he will be sent back to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Gregor’s annual average value (AAV) is $775,000, which will bring the Maple Leafs to just under the cap ceiling of $83.5 million. He quickly became a favourite for a bottom-six spot in his first few preseason games, and that kept him in the running for an NHL contract. He has the speed, skill, and grit to fit on the last line alongside Ryan Reaves and Davi Kampf, which only helps the Maple Leafs this season. Gregor’s emergence also meant that Sam Lafferty was moved to clear cap; he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
Maple Leafs’ 2023-24 Opening Night Roster
This brings us to the Maple Leafs’ 2023–24 opening-night roster, one that seems to be drastically different from years past. The team has more toughness sprinkled in but also carries skilled players. This preseason has shown all of Leafs Nation that the team has a good amount of depth, which is beneficial in case of injuries.
Forwards Lines:
Bertuzzi – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Tavares – Nylander
Knies – Minten – Järnkrok
Gregor – Kämpf – Reaves
This forward group has playoff pedigree; Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi bring grit but also goals and points. They will also help solidify the Maple Leafs’ top six and add the missing piece on both lines, which is something that the team hasn’t had since the Auston Matthews era started in 2016–17. Another exciting piece of the forward group is the Knies and Minten line, as mentioned.
Related: 4 Maple Leafs Questions That Must Be Answered Before Season
These two players are young and dynamic, and that brings a lot of excitement to the team. Alongside Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares, William Nylander, Knies, and Minten could bring another 1-2 punch to the lineup. This may be the first year since 2016–17 that most of the scoring won’t come from the core four but will be spread throughout the lineup.
Defence Lines:
Rielly – Brodie
McCabe – Klingberg
Giordano – Liljegren
The defensive core may be the downside of the team. It isn’t bad, but it could be a bit better. The good thing about this is the team’s new general manager (GM), Brad Treliving, loves to work from the blue line out, and in the case of the Maple Leafs, it’s easier to do because their forward group has so much talent. This will also make his job of working on the backend even more important. Treliving loves physical defencemen, so it wouldn’t be surprising if, throughout the season, he works the phones to bring in some added grit; however, for now, this is the unit that will start the season.
Goalie Tandem:
Samsonov
Woll
There are a lot of questions regarding the goaltending tandem, especially, who will be the starter by the end of the season. Well, for now, Maple Leafs fans should only worry about who will start the season. That is going to be Ilya Samsonov; it will be his crease to lose. With that said, Joseph Woll could take over the crease by Christmas, but again, for now, Samsonov is the guy.
Overall, there is a lot for Maple Leafs fans to be excited about; this could be the year the team wins their division. Treliving and his staff added a lot of necessary pieces that were needed to finally get over their playoff woes, so buckle up and enjoy the 2023–24 Maple Leafs.
