After winning four-straight games to start the month of January, the Toronto Maple Leafs followed that up with a disappointing stretch of four straight loses where they had the lead and blew it. Then came four wins in their last five games– which included two wins in a home-and-home with the Winnipeg Jets– heading into the All-Star break on a high note.
While it’s a great chance for many on the Maple Leafs roster to regroup and unwind, the star players are being well represented for the All-Star festivities in Toronto. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner were all selected to attend the event with Matthews being named captain.
All four players have had strong seasons to this point and deserve the recognition, but some standout above the rest. Here are how the Maple Leafs All-Stars rank amongst each other in terms of overall impact.
4. Mitch Marner
It’s definitely been a difficult season for Marner as he’s had high and low points. At times, he’s shown why he’s one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league with his shifty play and creativity. At others, that has been his down fall where he tries to do too much, passes up shooting opportunities and makes questionable decisions with the puck.
Marner has already recorded his fourth straight 20-goal season, remains a top-20 scorer with 53 points and is in the top-20 in primary assists at all strengths. Despite all that, he still gets the ire of many, especially when the team was struggling earlier in the month saying they’re playing well even in those loses. Aside from that, Marner remains a top player in this league for a reason and that’s because he continues to dish the puck extremely well.
When Marner’s on top of his game, he can get the crowds out of their seats with the moves he makes. When he’s not in a panic and over complicating things, he is an elite-level player. The intensity in his game lacks consistency from game to game as he can’t shy away from when things get tough. Consistency always seems to be an issue and if he can maintain that, then things will begin to look up.
3. Morgan Rielly
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