<p>The Leafs wrapped up their pre-Christmas schedule against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday and are set to enjoy some time with family and friends over the brief holiday break. The time off will serve as a well-earned reprieve in their pursuit of the ultimate prize, but they&#8217;ll have to wait a few more months for a shot at that hardware. In the meantime, what could the Leafs&#8217; players have at the top of their Christmas wishlists that might help hold them over until the spring?</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Auston Matthews</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Clean bill of health</strong></p>
<p>The captain is easy to shop for this year &#8211; all he wants is a clean bill of health. He hasn&#8217;t been quite right all season and already missed a stretch of nine games before landing on the injured list again heading into the break. If the Leafs are going to make a deep run next spring, they&#8217;re going to need Matthews at full strength.</p>
<h2><strong>Mitch Marner</strong></h2>
<p><strong>100-point season</strong></p>
<p>Marner has flirted with 100 points several times throughout his career but has never quite gotten there. He&#8217;s put up seasons of 99, 97, and 94 points, and he produced at a 101-point pace over 69 games last season. There&#8217;s no doubt he has the talent to break the century mark, and there would be no better time for Marner to hit that milestone than in the final year of his current contract.</p>
<h2><strong>William Nylander</strong></h2>
<p><strong>50-goal season/Rocket Richard Trophy</strong></p>
<p>After posting back-t0-back 40-goal seasons, Nylander is looking to reach new heights in 2024-25. He enters the break tied for second in NHL goal scoring with 23 goals, and he is on pace to shatter his career-high. Through the first half of last season, 50 goals looked like a possibility, but Nylander cooled down the stretch, and finding a way to stay consistent in the second half of the season will ensure he gets what he wants this year.</p>
<h2><strong>John Tavares</strong></h2>
<p><strong>A contract extension</strong></p>
<p>Tavares has been the model of consistency, and in the seventh and final year of his current deal, he is putting together one of the best seasons of his career. He is still a hugely important part of this team, and he wants to be here, but the team has to be careful with how much money and term they dole out to a player who will be 35 entering next season. That said, his performance so far this season should have him on the Nice list.</p>
<h2><strong>Matthew Knies</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Tennis lessons</strong></p>
<p>Knies has taken a legitimate step forward this year to become one of the most exciting young power forwards in the league, but his ability to hang with the big dogs on the tennis court was a point of contention coming into the season.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Amazing Adventures of Matthews and Knies </p>
<p>Episode 1: Tennis <a href="https://t.co/x3C66sWlRp">pic.twitter.com/x3C66sWlRp</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Omar (@TicTacTOmar) <a href="https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1837502942225592631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>It&#8217;s hard to know who to believe in this saga, but some extra time on the court for Knies could force Matthews to admit defeat.</p>
<h2><strong>Morgan Rielly</strong></h2>
<p><strong>A good night&#8217;s sleep</strong></p>
<p>Players struggling after welcoming a newborn into their lives has been a bit of a running joke among Leafs fans, but anyone who has been through it knows there&#8217;s an element of truth in there more often than not. After he and his wife welcomed their first child in August, Rielly started the season looking like his old self, jumping into the play and contributing offensively, but he hasn&#8217;t been as productive in recent weeks, and the defensive gaffs have become more glaring. The Leafs need Rielly to get back to playing his best hockey, and a quick reset over the break could be just what he needs to feel rejuvenated.</p>
<h2><strong>Joseph Woll</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Durability</strong></p>
<p>Woll has shown flashes of being an elite NHL goaltender, but he has struggled with injuries throughout his professional career and has yet to prove he can handle a heavy workload. The Leafs have benefitted from outstanding performances by both Woll and Anthony Stolarz this season, but with Stolarz now on the shelf for at least the next month, the opportunity is there for Woll to put concerns about his durability to rest. It&#8217;s his net for the next little while, and proving he can stay healthy while maintaining a high level of play is what he&#8217;s wishing for this Christmas.</p>
<h2><strong>Chris Tanev</strong></h2>
<p><strong>A new pair of shin pads</strong></p>
<p>There were some concerns about the length of the contract the Leafs gave Tanev in the offseason, but at least in year one, he has been everything they could have hoped for. He is as steady of a defensive presence as the Leafs have had in the Core Four era, and his willingness to sacrifice his body night in and night out has been remarkable. Tanev enters the break as the NHL&#8217;s leader in blocked shots with 99, but that style of play could be starting to catch up with him as he missed Monday&#8217;s game against Winnipeg with a lower-body injury.</p>
<h2><strong>Bobby McMann</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Consistent linemates</strong></p>
<p>McMann&#8217;s versatility has been a bit of a blessing and a curse, as he seems to get shuffled around the lineup on a consistent basis. Yes, everyone has been moved around the lineup this season, but McMann has been among Toronto&#8217;s most reliable secondary scoring threats, and save for a three-game stint where he lit things up alongside Domi and Robertson, it seems like he&#8217;s got different linemates every other night.</p>
<h2><strong>Oliver Ekman-Larsson</strong></h2>
<p><strong>A new partner for Morgan Rielly</strong></p>
<p>Playing Ekman-Larsson on his offside with Rielly wasn&#8217;t the plan when the Leafs signed him in the offseason, but the shutdown pairing of Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev has been too good to ignore, and it has put too much on OEL&#8217;s plate. In order to get the best out of Ekman-Larsson, he probably needs to be playing his natural side on the third pair, but there isn&#8217;t an obvious in-house fit alongside Rielly, save for Tanev. General manager Brad Treliving will be scouring the market for a centre upgrade ahead of the trade deadline, but an addition on the back end could help make OEL&#8217;s life a lot easier, too.</p>
<h2><strong>Anthony Stolarz</strong></h2>
<p><strong>New knees</strong></p>
<p>Statistically, Stolarz has been one of the best netminders in the NHL over the last couple of years. The only knock on his track record was that he had never taken on a starter&#8217;s workload, due in large part to numerous knee injuries in his career. Stolarz was arguably the Leafs&#8217; MVP through the first couple months of the season and looked like he was well on his way to setting a new career-high in games played, but a knee injury has derailed his season once again. Stolarz has the ability to be a top-tier goaltender in the NHL, but yet another knee injury casts some doubt on his durability and longevity.</p>
<h2><strong>Max Domi</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Consistency</strong></p>
<p>Domi&#8217;s tenure in Toronto thus far has been a bit of a roller coaster. He wasn&#8217;t much of a factor through the first half of last season, but looked like an elite playmaker alongside Matthews down the stretch. He struggled again to begin this season, but coming off an injury, put together an impressive three-game stretch where he found the back of the net three times while adding a pair of assists. When Domi isn&#8217;t creating offence, he has a tendency to fade into the background, and that has happened far too often for him as a Leaf.</p>
<h2><strong>Jake McCabe</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Offensive production</strong></p>
<p>McCabe&#8217;s primary function in the lineup is to shut down the opposition&#8217;s best and bring his hard-nosed style of play night after night, but he is also capable of chipping in at the offensive end. He had a career year with eight goals and 28 points a season ago, but he&#8217;s stuck on zero goals through 30 games this season. It&#8217;s starting to look like he&#8217;s hunting chances more aggressively, and he&#8217;s been burned on a couple of questionable pinches recently, so it would be nice for him to put one on the board and settle back into his game.</p>
<h2><strong>Max Pacioretty</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Anti-inflammatories</strong></p>
<p>Everyone is banged up to some extent at this point of the NHL season, but with the way Pacioretty has transformed his game and the number of massive hits he has dished out this season, he has to be feeling it a bit more. The veteran sniper has become a fearsome physical presence, but there are lots of hard miles on his body, so maintaining that style of play could take a greater toll as the season wears on.</p>
<h2><strong>Nick Robertson</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Confidence</strong></p>
<p>Robertson offers a tantalizing skill set, and he has shown the ability to create offence at the NHL level, but not consistently enough. He had an outstanding preseason and came into the season feeling great about his game, but it&#8217;s hard to stay confident when the pucks aren&#8217;t going in, and Robertson found the net just once in his first 19 games of the season. It became obvious that he was starting to press, misreading plays and bobbling pucks in open space, landing him in the press box for four games. Robertson has looked like a different player since returning to the lineup, asserting his will offensively and working hard at both ends of the ice. If he can continue to build the confidence to play his game when things aren&#8217;t going his way, he might still have a chance at carving out a more permanent spot in the lineup.</p>
<h2><strong>Conor Timmins</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Power play minutes</strong></p>
<p>Timmins deserves credit for taking advantage of a fresh set of eyes and carving out a regular role under his new coach when he was mostly an afterthought under Sheldon Keefe. That said, he hasn&#8217;t been quite as sharp lately as he has been relied on for more defensive usage. The strength of Timmins&#8217; game has always been his puck-moving ability and heavy shot from the point, but he hasn&#8217;t been afforded much of an opportunity to showcase those skills this season.</p>
<h2><strong>Steven Lorentz</strong></h2>
<p><strong>A contract extension</strong></p>
<p>Lorentz peeked at Tavares&#8217; list, ok? A Leafs fan when he was growing up, Lorentz quickly ingratiated himself with both the Toronto faithful and his head coach. Through all the different lineup machinations this season, he has been a constant in the Leafs&#8217; bottom six, and he has been effective in his role as a grinding, physical forward who excels on the penalty kill. Lorentz has been a great fit as a depth piece for his boyhood team, and a contract extension should be desirable for both sides.</p>
<h2><strong>Pontus Holmberg</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Hand cream</strong></p>
<p>Holmberg does a lot of things well that lead to gaining possession or creating chances, but he hasn&#8217;t shown the soft hands to prevent plays from constantly dying on his stick. With a bit more touch, he could be a threatening two-way presence that the Leafs could sorely use in their bottom six.</p>
<h2><strong>Simon Benoit</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Extra milk and cookies</strong></p>
<p>Benoit&#8217;s love for a tall glass of milk has been well-documented, and he likes to mix in a couple of cookies, too. With the big man in red needing his share on Christmas Eve, Benoit will need to be restocked over the holiday break.</p>
<h2><strong>David Kämpf</strong></h2>
<p><strong>A goal</strong></p>
<p>Everyone knows that Kämpf&#8217;s job is to kill penalties and be a reliable defensive presence in the bottom six. Still, he&#8217;s making $2.4 million against the cap, and it would be nice for a player with that price tag to chip in with some offence once in a while. Kämp has missed significant time due to injury this season, but through 21 games, he has managed zero goals and four assists. No matter who you are or what your role is, you never want to see a zero in the goal column, and Kämpf will take one anyway he can get it right now.</p>
<h2><strong>Connor Dewar</strong></h2>
<p><strong>David Kämpf trade</strong></p>
<p>Even with injuries up front, there is a bit of a logjam on the Leafs&#8217; fourth line. Dewar was among the injured to start the season but has played 16 games since returning, with a few healthy scratches mixed in. He probably isn&#8217;t the player who is going to lead the offensive charge in Craig Berube&#8217;s bottom six, but he is a tenacious forechecker with good defensive instincts, and he did score 10 goals in 57 games for Minnesota last season. Dewar might find himself on the outside looking in at a healthy Leafs lineup, but he could be capable of filling Kämpf&#8217;s role at a fraction of the cost.</p>
<h2><strong>Ryan Reaves</strong></h2>
<p><strong>A dance partner</strong></p>
<p>It&#8217;s clear that Reaves&#8217; best days are behind him, and he probably shouldn&#8217;t be playing as much as he is, but he should still be able to provide the occasional spark with some physicality. Somewhat surprisingly, Reaves hasn&#8217;t had a single fight so far this season, and finding a willing combatant or two down the stretch is probably his best shot at providing any sort of value to the Leafs this season.</p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Leafs wrapped up their pre-Christmas schedule against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday and are set to enjoy some time with family and friends over the brief holiday break. The time off will serve as a well-earned reprieve in their pursuit of the ultimate prize, but they'll have to wait a few more months for a shot at that hardware. In the meantime, what could the Leafs' players have at the top of their Christmas wishlists that might help hold them over until the spring?
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
&nbsp;
<h2><strong>Auston Matthews</strong></h2>
<strong>Clean bill of health</strong>

The captain is easy to shop for this year - all he wants is a clean bill of health. He hasn't been quite right all season and already missed a stretch of nine games before landing on the injured list again heading into the break. If the Leafs are going to make a deep run next spring, they're going to need Matthews at full strength.
<h2><strong>Mitch Marner</strong></h2>
<strong>100-point season</strong>

Marner has flirted with 100 points several times throughout his career but has never quite gotten there. He's put up seasons of 99, 97, and 94 points, and he produced at a 101-point pace over 69 games last season. There's no doubt he has the talent to break the century mark, and there would be no better time for Marner to hit that milestone than in the final year of his current contract.
<h2><strong>William Nylander</strong></h2>
<strong>50-goal season/Rocket Richard Trophy</strong>

After posting back-t0-back 40-goal seasons, Nylander is looking to reach new heights in 2024-25. He enters the break tied for second in NHL goal scoring with 23 goals, and he is on pace to shatter his career-high. Through the first half of last season, 50 goals looked like a possibility, but Nylander cooled down the stretch, and finding a way to stay consistent in the second half of the season will ensure he gets what he wants this year.
<h2><strong>John Tavares</strong></h2>
<strong>A contract extension</strong>

Tavares has been the model of consistency, and in the seventh and final year of his current deal, he is putting together one of the best seasons of his career. He is still a hugely important part of this team, and he wants to be here, but the team has to be careful with how much money and term they dole out to a player who will be 35 entering next season. That said, his performance so far this season should have him on the Nice list.
<h2><strong>Matthew Knies</strong></h2>
<strong>Tennis lessons</strong>

Knies has taken a legitimate step forward this year to become one of the most exciting young power forwards in the league, but his ability to hang with the big dogs on the tennis court was a point of contention coming into the season.

https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1837502942225592631

It's hard to know who to believe in this saga, but some extra time on the court for Knies could force Matthews to admit defeat.
<h2><strong>Morgan Rielly</strong></h2>
<strong>A good night's sleep</strong>

Players struggling after welcoming a newborn into their lives has been a bit of a running joke among Leafs fans, but anyone who has been through it knows there's an element of truth in there more often than not. After he and his wife welcomed their first child in August, Rielly started the season looking like his old self, jumping into the play and contributing offensively, but he hasn't been as productive in recent weeks, and the defensive gaffs have become more glaring. The Leafs need Rielly to get back to playing his best hockey, and a quick reset over the break could be just what he needs to feel rejuvenated.
<h2><strong>Joseph Woll</strong></h2>
<strong>Durability</strong>

Woll has shown flashes of being an elite NHL goaltender, but he has struggled with injuries throughout his professional career and has yet to prove he can handle a heavy workload. The Leafs have benefitted from outstanding performances by both Woll and Anthony Stolarz this season, but with Stolarz now on the shelf for at least the next month, the opportunity is there for Woll to put concerns about his durability to rest. It's his net for the next little while, and proving he can stay healthy while maintaining a high level of play is what he's wishing for this Christmas.
<h2><strong>Chris Tanev</strong></h2>
<strong>A new pair of shin pads</strong>

There were some concerns about the length of the contract the Leafs gave Tanev in the offseason, but at least in year one, he has been everything they could have hoped for. He is as steady of a defensive presence as the Leafs have had in the Core Four era, and his willingness to sacrifice his body night in and night out has been remarkable. Tanev enters the break as the NHL's leader in blocked shots with 99, but that style of play could be starting to catch up with him as he missed Monday's game against Winnipeg with a lower-body injury.
<h2><strong>Bobby McMann</strong></h2>
<strong>Consistent linemates</strong>

McMann's versatility has been a bit of a blessing and a curse, as he seems to get shuffled around the lineup on a consistent basis. Yes, everyone has been moved around the lineup this season, but McMann has been among Toronto's most reliable secondary scoring threats, and save for a three-game stint where he lit things up alongside Domi and Robertson, it seems like he's got different linemates every other night.
<h2><strong>Oliver Ekman-Larsson</strong></h2>
<strong>A new partner for Morgan Rielly</strong>

Playing Ekman-Larsson on his offside with Rielly wasn't the plan when the Leafs signed him in the offseason, but the shutdown pairing of Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev has been too good to ignore, and it has put too much on OEL's plate. In order to get the best out of Ekman-Larsson, he probably needs to be playing his natural side on the third pair, but there isn't an obvious in-house fit alongside Rielly, save for Tanev. General manager Brad Treliving will be scouring the market for a centre upgrade ahead of the trade deadline, but an addition on the back end could help make OEL's life a lot easier, too.
<h2><strong>Anthony Stolarz</strong></h2>
<strong>New knees</strong>

Statistically, Stolarz has been one of the best netminders in the NHL over the last couple of years. The only knock on his track record was that he had never taken on a starter's workload, due in large part to numerous knee injuries in his career. Stolarz was arguably the Leafs' MVP through the first couple months of the season and looked like he was well on his way to setting a new career-high in games played, but a knee injury has derailed his season once again. Stolarz has the ability to be a top-tier goaltender in the NHL, but yet another knee injury casts some doubt on his durability and longevity.
<h2><strong>Max Domi</strong></h2>
<strong>Consistency</strong>

Domi's tenure in Toronto thus far has been a bit of a roller coaster. He wasn't much of a factor through the first half of last season, but looked like an elite playmaker alongside Matthews down the stretch. He struggled again to begin this season, but coming off an injury, put together an impressive three-game stretch where he found the back of the net three times while adding a pair of assists. When Domi isn't creating offence, he has a tendency to fade into the background, and that has happened far too often for him as a Leaf.
<h2><strong>Jake McCabe</strong></h2>
<strong>Offensive production</strong>

McCabe's primary function in the lineup is to shut down the opposition's best and bring his hard-nosed style of play night after night, but he is also capable of chipping in at the offensive end. He had a career year with eight goals and 28 points a season ago, but he's stuck on zero goals through 30 games this season. It's starting to look like he's hunting chances more aggressively, and he's been burned on a couple of questionable pinches recently, so it would be nice for him to put one on the board and settle back into his game.
<h2><strong>Max Pacioretty</strong></h2>
<strong>Anti-inflammatories</strong>

Everyone is banged up to some extent at this point of the NHL season, but with the way Pacioretty has transformed his game and the number of massive hits he has dished out this season, he has to be feeling it a bit more. The veteran sniper has become a fearsome physical presence, but there are lots of hard miles on his body, so maintaining that style of play could take a greater toll as the season wears on.
<h2><strong>Nick Robertson</strong></h2>
<strong>Confidence</strong>

Robertson offers a tantalizing skill set, and he has shown the ability to create offence at the NHL level, but not consistently enough. He had an outstanding preseason and came into the season feeling great about his game, but it's hard to stay confident when the pucks aren't going in, and Robertson found the net just once in his first 19 games of the season. It became obvious that he was starting to press, misreading plays and bobbling pucks in open space, landing him in the press box for four games. Robertson has looked like a different player since returning to the lineup, asserting his will offensively and working hard at both ends of the ice. If he can continue to build the confidence to play his game when things aren't going his way, he might still have a chance at carving out a more permanent spot in the lineup.
<h2><strong>Conor Timmins</strong></h2>
<strong>Power play minutes</strong>

Timmins deserves credit for taking advantage of a fresh set of eyes and carving out a regular role under his new coach when he was mostly an afterthought under Sheldon Keefe. That said, he hasn't been quite as sharp lately as he has been relied on for more defensive usage. The strength of Timmins' game has always been his puck-moving ability and heavy shot from the point, but he hasn't been afforded much of an opportunity to showcase those skills this season.
<h2><strong>Steven Lorentz</strong></h2>
<strong>A contract extension</strong>

Lorentz peeked at Tavares' list, ok? A Leafs fan when he was growing up, Lorentz quickly ingratiated himself with both the Toronto faithful and his head coach. Through all the different lineup machinations this season, he has been a constant in the Leafs' bottom six, and he has been effective in his role as a grinding, physical forward who excels on the penalty kill. Lorentz has been a great fit as a depth piece for his boyhood team, and a contract extension should be desirable for both sides.
<h2><strong>Pontus Holmberg</strong></h2>
<strong>Hand cream</strong>

Holmberg does a lot of things well that lead to gaining possession or creating chances, but he hasn't shown the soft hands to prevent plays from constantly dying on his stick. With a bit more touch, he could be a threatening two-way presence that the Leafs could sorely use in their bottom six.
<h2><strong>Simon Benoit</strong></h2>
<strong>Extra milk and cookies</strong>

Benoit's love for a tall glass of milk has been well-documented, and he likes to mix in a couple of cookies, too. With the big man in red needing his share on Christmas Eve, Benoit will need to be restocked over the holiday break.
<h2><strong>David Kämpf</strong></h2>
<strong>A goal</strong>

Everyone knows that Kämpf's job is to kill penalties and be a reliable defensive presence in the bottom six. Still, he's making $2.4 million against the cap, and it would be nice for a player with that price tag to chip in with some offence once in a while. Kämp has missed significant time due to injury this season, but through 21 games, he has managed zero goals and four assists. No matter who you are or what your role is, you never want to see a zero in the goal column, and Kämpf will take one anyway he can get it right now.
<h2><strong>Connor Dewar</strong></h2>
<strong>David Kämpf trade</strong>

Even with injuries up front, there is a bit of a logjam on the Leafs' fourth line. Dewar was among the injured to start the season but has played 16 games since returning, with a few healthy scratches mixed in. He probably isn't the player who is going to lead the offensive charge in Craig Berube's bottom six, but he is a tenacious forechecker with good defensive instincts, and he did score 10 goals in 57 games for Minnesota last season. Dewar might find himself on the outside looking in at a healthy Leafs lineup, but he could be capable of filling Kämpf's role at a fraction of the cost.
<h2><strong>Ryan Reaves</strong></h2>
<strong>A dance partner</strong>

It's clear that Reaves' best days are behind him, and he probably shouldn't be playing as much as he is, but he should still be able to provide the occasional spark with some physicality. Somewhat surprisingly, Reaves hasn't had a single fight so far this season, and finding a willing combatant or two down the stretch is probably his best shot at providing any sort of value to the Leafs this season.

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

The perfect Christmas gift for each Maple Leafs player

Recent articles from Nick Richard

Breaking News