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The NHL regular season is quickly approaching and the Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for the start of the season. With the preseason nearing the end with two more games against the Detroit Red Wings, the Maple Leafs will be faced with a tough task to trim down their roster and finalize everything for the season opener against the Montreal Canadiens.
It was a competitive camp and the Maple Leafs have seen a number of players that have made their case to crack the roster, move up or even solidify a certain role in the lineup. Some have fallen short but, they definitely left a lasting impression for the future. As the preseason ends here are four players that stood out above the rest for the Maple Leafs during these last few weeks.
Nicholas Robertson
After a tenuous offseason where he wanted a trade out of Toronto, Nicholas Robertson had an opportunity presented to him to try and earn a spot after a talk with head coach Craig Berube. In three games played in the preseason, Robertson has definitely done everything he can to steal and keep a spot to be a regular in the lineup every night.
While Robertson had some moments in his first game against the Ottawa Senators, it was his play and shot in the games against the Canadiens that really stood out where he scored three goals in two games. In the first game, where there were a number of regulars in the lineup, he scored the game winning goal after a tenacious effort to steal the puck and rip it home. In the second game, he scored a power play and the game winner again after he was sent in on a partial breakaway. His offensive impact is being felt as he has the fifth-best expected goals for percentage at 65% at five-on-five when he’s on the ice.
Robertson’s speed, drive and ability to battle and hound for pucks has been extremely noticeable every time he’s on the ice. However, it’s his play away from the puck that has gained attention as he’s more responsible and has the ability to quickly transition to offense with his positioning and awareness. He’s done everything he can to secure a spot in the top-nine come opening night.
Dennis Hildeby
The Maple Leafs now have homegrown goaltenders coming up through the pipeline in the future and Dennis Hildeby is one of them that’s making his case. In the two games that he has played in, Hildeby has looked very steady showing great poise, confidence and making big time saves to keep his team in the game.
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Hildeby has only allowed two goals overall, one in a game where he split the start against the Senators and one in a full game against the Canadiens where he made 27 saves and had a .963 save percentage. While it’s only preseason, he remains perfect at 5v5, having not allowed a goal in that situation. Since being drafted 122nd overall in 2022, he has continued to take major strides with his development and his play as a rookie in the American Hockey League showed where he had a .913 SV%.
Hildeby has also got the attention and praise from both Berube and Anthony Stolarz, who recently praised his mobility in the crease. At 6-foot-7, 223 pounds, Hildeby continues to stand tall in the crease and make highlight reel saves when he needs to. While the position maybe set with Joseph Woll and Stolarz, should something happen, expect Hildeby to get a call-up and earn some games as a result of his stellar play.
Marshall Rifai
While it may be tough for any of the Maple Leafs prospects on defense to push for a spot, there is definitely one surprise that is standing out in Marshall Rifai. After playing with Harvard University in the NCAA, he signed with the Maple Leafs. Now, he earned a two-year extension before camp and is now showing his worth.
Rifai is a very physical and defensive stalwart on the backend, who does move fairly well for his size. He can close gaps effectively, provides strong coverage in his own end and isn’t afraid to lay a big hit or even drop the gloves. He provides a calming presence on the backend with some bite and he’s definitely shown that in the preseason. Per Natural Stat Trick, he has played the most minutes on the penalty kill at 9:49. During that time, only one high danger chance against was made when he was on the ice in that situation.
While he may not be an offensive defenseman, Rifai provides an element this team needs. He’s aggressive, he battles hard and it’s something that captain Auston Matthews took note of. His ability to play that style benefits the Maple Leafs as a he looks to be a reliable depth option on defense and continues to push for a roster spot.
Matthew Knies
At the start of September, I wrote about three bold predictions for the Maple Leafs. One of them involved Matthew Knies having a breakout season, hitting the 30-goal and 60-point mark. He’s slated to play with Matthews and Mitch Marner which is promising to increase his production, but his overall play during the preseason shows that he’s ready to be more of an impactful player this season.
In three games, Knies has a goal and an assist, but when you look at his underlying numbers, the potential for him to carry over his play into the regular season is there. He currently has the fourth best scoring chances for percentage of 77.27 and sixth-best high danger chances for percentage of 84.62 when he’s on the ice at 5v5. Knies’ ability to establish an attack, maintain possession and constantly win battles are big reasons why he can have success this season. He has the ability to thrive in the dirty areas much like Michael Bunting and Zach Hyman were successful in doing that in the past.
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Knies has the potential to be a key player going forward and wearing a letter in his last game against the Canadiens is a great sign that he can be a leader. As he continues to make his mark and take a big step, the potential to be signed to a new contract is also growing for the promising forward.
While there have been other strong performances for the Maple Leafs in the preseason, Robertson, Hildeby, Rifai and Knies have been a cut above everyone else to make their mark on the roster now and for the future. They’ve continued to shine and prove to be potential key pieces that could have a tremendous impact as the team looks to remain a force in the league.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick.
