Toronto Maple Leafs upgrades and season outlook

After exiting the postseason during the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a new-look Toronto Maple Leafs will try to change their fortunes this upcoming season.

With a new general manager and a handful of new players, Auston Matthews needing to be signed, and William Nylander‘s status, what will happen for the Maple Leafs?

These are all the uncertainties the Toronto Maple Leafs and its fans are facing this upcoming season.

The new additions to the Leafs’ depth will help provide more traction regarding goal-scoring on the offensive front and provide more skating ability in the defensive zone, which was the downfall of the Maple Leafs in the second round of the postseason.

Who are the new additions to the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Max Domi, who lived in Toronto during his childhood and watched his dad play, will bring plenty of grit to the team, along with a tenacious skating ability that would complement his goal-scoring prowess.

Tyler Bertuzzi is a skilled forward, who will play the game to his advantage if he would play on the first line with forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Bertuzzi is a playmaker, similar to Mitch Marner, and can skate around the ice accordingly to his teammates. His drive to the net is scary good and will be able to rack up the points evenly.

John Klingberg is a talented defenseman, who has a good history of defensive awareness and good skating ability to get the puck quickly out of the defensive zone and onto players on the fly. His presence will be felt in the offensive zone and will complement the group of defensemen he is lined up with.

Ryan Reaves will bring toughness and grit to the team, including keeping an eye on players that go after the top guns. He’ll also help boost the fourth line in scoring.

What will happen with forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander?

Auston Matthews will be the top gun of the team with his excellent gameplay and leadership he is starting to show, and he will be signed before the season. It would be in the best interest of the Toronto Maple Leafs to sign him before the season begins. As he is the backbone of the team.

William Nylander, in my opinion, has played too many games to stay a Maple Leaf and perhaps should be traded for a goalie or defenseman to ensure defensive depth. The reason is the inability to produce in crucial moments and demand a lot more than has been expected of him.

This will be the same dominant team the league is familiar with, but how the chemistry unfolds and the implications it has for the post-season will be the X-factor.