Toronto Maple Leafs: 2 Biggest Surprises Of The Season

Every NHL team has now played 20 games this season, so we are starting to get a better understanding of what to expect from them moving forward. There have been certain players who have been big surprises thus far and it feels fair to shine a light on them. In this series, we will be looking at two from each team who certainly can be classified as that.

In this piece, we will be looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a slow start this season, the Leafs have since been on fire. At this time, they are tied for second in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning and sport an 18-8-2 record. These two newcomers have been fitting in beautifully for them and are performing far better than anyone could have expected.

Michael Bunting: The Michael Bunting contract is already looking like a complete and utter steal. The Leafs signed the 27-year-old winger to a two-year, $1.9 million contract over the summer and he's been one of their most productive forwards since. In 28 games, he has seven goals and 19 points. At this time, it's clear that his 13-point campaign in 21 games with the Arizona Coyotes was just not a fluke and he's a legitimate NHLer.

Ondrej Kase: Ondrej Kase's tenure with the Leafs started off slowly, but he is quickly changing that narrative around. He's become a perfect depth forward for Toronto, as he can be bounced throughout the lineup and still be productive in the process. Over his last 12 games, he has an impressive seven goals and three assists. Keep in mind, this is a player who didn't score a single goal with the Boston Bruins during his tenure there due to numerous injuries. It's good to see the 26-year-old not only healthy now, but also starting to thrive in Toronto.

Honorable Mention: Jack Campbell also works for this list. He's having himself a Vezina Trophy caliber season, as he sports a 14-5-2 record, 1.99 GAA and .935 SV%. He's been improving in each season with the Leafs and clearly is a true number one goaltender.