3 Maple Leafs With The Most To Prove In 2023-24

The Toronto Maple Leafs finally got over the hump last season, but made a decent amount of changes to their lineup. Once again, it looks like they have a very competitive team that could push deep into the playoffs, this time without the massive amount of pressure to only just get out of the first round. New and familiar faces alike will have some pressure to perform well this season for different reasons, so let's take a look.

William Nylander

Contract talks with William Nylander have stalled as the two sides are unwilling to go as far as the other one is asking. As Nylander is wanting $10 million or more per season, that is a big ask that he will have to prove again. It doesn't appear as though the Maple Leafs are going to give him that, so he will once again have to challenge both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner for the most goals and points on the team. Not many players get over $10 million AAV on their contracts, so he will have to prove he deserves it from anyone.

John Klingberg

John Klingberg signed a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks last season and it didn't go as planned for either side. He got the team hardly anything at the trade deadline after struggling to produce during the first half, but did pick up his play once he was in a better lineup. This time around, the Maple Leafs are hoping that a one-year deal on a good offensive team will do him good and he will perform up to standards. After the second consecutive one-year deal while looking to sign long-term, Klingberg has a lot to prove in order for a team to want to commit to him.

Nick Robertson

Nick Robertson's young career has been plagued with injuries and we've seen his older brother, Jason Robertson, become a star in the NHL. Nick has the tools, but when given a chance, injuries hold him back. Now it seems like he will be fighting for a spot on the team. He'll be 22 by the time the season rolls around, but he also has just 31 NHL games played over the past three seasons. First and foremost he has to prove he can stay healthy, then solidify his spot in the strong Maple Leafs' lineup.