One potential breakout player for the Maple Leafs in 2023–24 revealed.

For the past seven years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been among the best teams in the NHL during the regular season.
There is little doubt that the Maple Leafs have one of the most talented rosters in the sport, even though that success has not translated into any postseason success (aside from a first-round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last year).

With Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, and rookie Tyler Bertuzzi on the first line, almost every game can be won by that unit.
Given that he had at least 34 goals in each of his first 7 seasons in the league and scored 60 goals in 2021–22, Matthews is unquestionably a superstar.

Marner is an outstanding celebrity in and of himself.
Brilliant in the set-up role, he scored 30 goals on his own last season en route to a 99-point campaign.
Additionally, he is a defensively adept forward with a strong chance to take home the Selke Trophy this year.

John Tavares and William Nylander are both members of the second line, and they are both capable of taking over on nights when the first line isn’t performing well. Nylander became a star after scoring 34 goals two years ago and 40 goals the year after that.

The point is that the Leafs have many established stars, making it difficult for a young player to make it to them.
Fraser Minten, a rookie on the third line, has a chance to make a breakthrough.

the addition of center Fraser Minten.

The Maple Leafs selected Minten with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 draft. Minten scored 31 goals and 36 assists for a total of 67 points in 57 games last season as a junior player for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League.

Minten’s production impressed the Leafs, but that wasn’t the only factor in their decision to select him.
He was going to consistently be one step ahead due to his intelligence and ability to quickly analyze what was happening on the ice.

In addition to lining up at center, Minten demonstrated his versatility by being able to handle duties on the wing without stumbling. The 6-2, 197-pound Minten demonstrated his ability to play physically while also handling defensive responsibilities.

Because of Minten’s development, the Leafs invited him to training camp to demonstrate his abilities.
Minten played with no hesitation, looked good at the beginning of training camp, and got better as the season got closer.

In the training camp, Minten improves.

It was unlikely that Minten would make the team, despite the fact that he had improved throughout his time at the junior level.
Minten chose to simply put in a lot of effort each night rather than consider the likelihood that he would make the team.

“You look at the roster and see it’s pretty full with NHL veterans, so at that point I wouldn’t have thought this is a spot I’d be in,” he claimed.
“But all it took for me to get here was the mentality of taking each day as it came and working as hard as I could every day.
“.

Sheldon Keefe, the head coach, thought the young player impressed him.
On a regular basis, he outdid and outworked the opposition.

It gave the camp a little something extra, according to Keefe.
We did have other options, so it was a good message that those who earn a spot here get one.
Many players who have played for us and will play for us in the future were sent to the Marlies. But for us, it went beyond simply saying, “Here’s this young kid; let’s give him an opportunity.”. We thought he was in the lead.
“.