Top Ten Toronto Maple Leafs Players of the 2017-2018 Season
After setting franchise records for single-season points and wins, the Leafs were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Bruins. 2017-18 will perhaps be notable for being the last season of the "pre-Tavares" era.
I'm not completely sold on Andersen; I thought he was shaky in the playoffs both this year and last. But there's no doubt that the Leafs would be nowhere near as good as they are without Freddie in net. He bailed out the team after defensive lapses---and let's face it, there were a lot of those.
Marner was absolutely on fire during the second half of the season, even though he played tough minutes on the Leafs' shutdown line. Now he needs to figure out how to avoid an extended slump next season.
Auston Matthews is an American professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. The only reason Matthews isn't ranked above Marner is that he missed a lot of time with injuries. (I guess Marner played better in the playoffs, too.) Enough's been said about him already---the future is bright.
Rielly came into his own as a legitimate top-pairing defenceman this year. It's not easy shutting down lines like Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak, but he pulled it off. He's tough as nails, too---just look at that pockmarked face.
Nylander flew under the radar this year, which might be a good thing, considering the Leafs will be looking to lock him up long-term this summer. If he'd had a few more games on a line with Matthews, he might have outscored Marner.
Despite taking an unnecessary suspension in the playoffs, Kadri put up an awesome season. It's not easy to score when you're deployed in a shutdown role, but he made 30 goals again. Just wait until next season when he's *gasp* the third-line centre.
If there was a scramble for the puck in front of the opposing net on a power play, JvR always seemed to knock it in. Most of his 36 goals weren't pretty, but the Leafs' success with the man advantage was due largely to him.
Jake took a lot of heat because he did some really, really stupid things with the puck, especially in the playoffs. But he more than compensated for them with his offensive play, and the numbers don't lie---Jake was a plus-nine.
Marleau was a great signing. He plays well at even strength, with an extra man, or a man short and brings what sportswriters love to call a "veteran presence." Plus, he hasn't missed a game since 2009 (knock on wood).
As a lifelong Leaf fan, I'll miss Bozak more than any other player who has left the team. He's a class act and the St. Louis Blues are lucky to have him. Good luck, Bozie!