NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 8-Sept. 8. Today, three important questions facing the Toronto Maple Leafs.
[Maple Leafs 32 in 32: Season preview | Top prospects | Fantasy breakdown]
1. Can Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov make the Maple Leafs and their fans forget about Jack Campbell?
That will be difficult. In his two years as the Maple Leafs’ No. 1 goalie, Campbell had some impressive numbers. In 2020-21, he began the season 11-0-0 to break the NHL record of 10 wins to start a season, set by Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens in 2016-17. Campbell went 51-14-9 with a 2.50 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and seven shutouts in 77 games (75 starts) with Toronto before signing a five-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 13.
Murray and Samsonov each hope a change of scenery will be a career boost. Murray did help the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017 but the 30-year-old dealt with various injuries during his past two seasons with the Ottawa Senators, going 15-25-3 with a 3.23 GAA, .899 save percentage. and three shutouts in 47 games (45 starts). Samsonov was inconsistent with the Washington Capitals last season and was 23-12-5 with a 3.02 GAA, .896 save percentage and three shutouts in 44 games (39 starts).
Video: Top 5 Matt Murray Saves from the 2021-22 Season
2. Is this the season? Nicholas Robertson can establish himself in the NHL?
The Maple Leafs certainly hope so, but the 20-year-old forward will first have to stay healthy in order to do that.
Selected in the second round (No. 53) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Robertson led the Ontario Hockey League in goals with 55 for Peterborough in 2019-20. But then the injuries started. At the beginning of the 2020-21 season, he sustained a knee injury with Toronto of the American Hockey League that kept him out of the lineup for four weeks. In the second game of the 2021-22 AHL season, he sustained a non-displaced fracture of his right fibula and was out for almost four months.
He returned to average a point per game for the rest of the AHL season, with 28 (16 goals, 12 assists) in 28 games. He’s a natural goal scorer who has the potential to be a regular in the top six one day, but whether he can achieve that remains to be seen.
3. Can Timothy Liljegren Continue his development into becoming a potential top-pair defenseman?
The 23-year-old had a breakout season in 2021-22 with NHL career highs in games played (65), goals (five), assists (18) and points (23), and took his game to another level in the final. Six weeks on a pair with veteran trade deadline acquisition Mark Giordano.
It was a welcome sight for the Maple Leafs, who selected Liljegren with the No. 17 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and patiently waited for improvement. In the four seasons prior to last, he had one assist in 13 career NHL games and left management wanting more. Last season they finally got it, leaving Giordano, the 2019 Norris Trophy winner voted as the NHL’s top defenseman, taken with Liljegren’s learning curve.
“For a young guy he’s got super poise with the puck and he makes really really good decisions out there,” Giordano said. “You don’t really get a sense of how complete his game is on TV. I thought he was really impressive. I was really impressed with his positioning and all the little plays he makes.”
Video: PHI@TOR: Liljegren opens scoring for 5th of season
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