If I had bet you before the season started that the Maple Leafs would be a playoff team, would you take it? I predicted the Leafs would get around 70 points, 80 points max. Instead, the Leafs made the playoffs with 95 points.
The Awesome
Auston Matthews
Mathews, with his 40 goals and 29 assists, was clearly the best rookie all year. Auston was used in all aspects of the game. He was deadly on the power plays. He was the complete player with a plus two on the season.
Mitchell Marner
Mitchell would have been the best Rookie on most teams. His 19 goals and 42 points for 61 points were impressive. By far, the most impressive playmaker on the team.
Nazem Kadri
The best pest in the game! Kadri 32 goals were a shock to me. That completely blows my mind. He plays with his heart on his sleeve. He has to control his emotions and start playing with his head. Kadri was the complete player, often played against the number one centre on the opposition team. In fact, he outplays Mc-everything, when they played the Oilers twice.
The Good
William Nylander
William has the skills of someone twice his age. Nylander is a skilled, playmaking forward, who gained more confidence with each game. He matched Marner's points, with more goals and fewer assists. William is the fastest skater on the team. He might very well be the most exciting player on the team.
Morgan Rielly
Morgan is probably the best defencemen on the roster. He is the best in defensive zone coverage. He has a great shot and covers up others mistakes with his speed. He saved a lot of players' bacon, with his excellent defensive skills
Those are the few examples of how we can be excited about this teams future. And I didn't mention the goalie, Frederik Andersen. He is very bright, and like Matthews, Marner, and Nylander, will only improve.
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