Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023-24 revision of our top 50 Toronto Maple Leafs.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Maple Leafs again made the playoffs but faced their usual result: a first-round exit.  Despite this, the team was loaded with veterans and saw significant elevations in the Top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Syl Apps
2. Turk Broda
3. Tim Horton
4. Charlie Conacher
5. Borje Salming 

You can find the entire list here.

On the strength of his 69-Goal season, Auston Matthews rocketed to #8 from #15.

Right Wing Mitch Marner advances to #33 from #36.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly moved up four spots to #38.

Center John Tavares climbed to #39 from #40.

William Nylander went to #45 from #48.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NHL Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at Thanksgiving, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will be doing updates every Monday.

Here is the sixth current top ten in Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. 78 Cup Points:  38 Games, 24 G, 31 A, 55 P, +11, 6.8 PS. (#1 Last Week)

The Boston Bruins (like last year) have been the best team early in the season, and it is David Pastrnak who has led their offensive threat.  He is the league-leader in Shots (189), is third in Points (55), sixth in Goals (24), and is Boston’s leading scorer, and is in the top ten in most essential offensive categories.  Could he win his first Hart, but if not, maybe his first NIHOF Cup?

2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning.  71 Cup Points, 40 Games, 28 G, 39 A, 67 P, -3, 7.7 PS.  (#2 Last Week)

Kucherov is in his tenth season in Tampa, and is putting forth a season that could gain him another Hart or Art Ross.  He is leading the NHL in Points (67) and is second in Goals (28) and third in Assists (39).  It is a minor surprise that he is not first in Cup Points, but he is close.

3.  Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, 63 Cup Points:  33 Games, 30 G, 15 A, 45 P, +7, 6.0 PS. (#3 Last Week)

The American sniper is back as the league’s top goal-scorer, holding the lead in that (30) and Even-Strength Goals (22).  If he holds that, Matthews will win his third Rocket Richard Trophy, though Kucherov is closing in fast.

4 (TIE). Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators, 60 Cup Points:  40 Games, 21 G, 24 A, 45 P, +7, 5.4 PS (#4 Last Week)

Forsberg is off to the best start of his career and should make his second All-Star Game, though other than Even-Strength Goals (2^nd with 19) and Game-Winning Goals (3^rd with 5), he is not in the top ten in any major offensive category. 

4 (TIE). Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers.  58 Cup Points, 38 Games, 25 G, 30 A, 55 P, +2, 6.5 PS. (#10 Last Week)

Panarin returns to the top ten, and is strange to think that he fell out of it at all.  The Russian Left Wing is third in Points (55), fourth in Goals (25), and tenth in Assists (30), and is poised to have his best goal-scoring campaign to date.

5.  Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, 59 Cup Points:  40 Games, 22 G, 43 A, 65 P, +9, 7.1 PS. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

MacKinnon returns to the top ten as his teammate, Mikko Rantanen fell off.  He took over the league-lead in Assists (43) and is second in Points (65), and eighth in Goals (22). 

7 (TIE). Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, 58 Cup Points:  34 Games, 13 4, 40 A, 54 P, +10, 5.6 PS.  (#8 Last Week)

The Edmonton Oilers have been a disappointment thus far, and McDavid has not been lighting the lamp like he did last year, but he has however been a great playmaker, and is second in Assists (40) and fifth in Points (54).  Can he make it back to the top of the mountain?

7. (TIE). Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers, 58 Cup Points:  39 Games, 28 G, 22 A, 50 P, +17, 7.0 PS.  (#6 Last Week)

Currently having the best year of his life, Reinhart is the current leader in Power Play Goals (13), Game-Winning Goals (7). and Shooting Percentage (27.7), and is also second in Goals (28), and eighth in Points (50).  Historically a good player, Reinhart has never had a first half like this before.

9. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, 56 Cup Points:  22 Games, 22 G, 19 A, 41 P, +14, 5.4 PS.  (Not on the Top Ten Last Week)

We have to admit we are happy to see Sidney Crosby in the top ten, as even though “Sid the Kid” is over 35, but this is a legend!  Crosby is eighth in Goals (22) and ninth in Even Strength Goals (16) as of this writing.

10. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs, 55 Cup Points:  37 Games, 21 G, 33 A, 54 P, +5, 5.9 PS.  (Not Ranked in the Top Ten Last Week)

Matthews is the star of the Leafs, by Nylander might be the top player this year.  He is currently fifth in Points and seventh in Assists (33).

Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Nashville’s Juuse Saros and New Jersey’s Jack Hughes fell out of the top ten.  Notably, we have no Goalies in the top ten for the first time.

Our next update will be next Monday.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Toronto Maple Leafs.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Toronto finally broke through and made it to the second round of the playoffs, but in “Six” it is all about winning it all.  Last year yielded several elevations and two new entrants, which is impressive considering we are talking about an organization that is over a century old. 

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Syl Apps

2. Turk Broda

3. Tim Horton

4. Charlie Conacher

5. Borje Salming

You can find the entire list here.

Former Hart Trophy winner, Auston Matthews, continues his ascension, as he is now ranked at #15, having risen from #18.

Right Wing, Mitch Marner, climbed to #36 from #43.

Former #1 Draft Pick, John Tavares makes his debut at #40.

Defenseman. Morgan Reilly, advanced to #42 from #47.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

From Sweden, William Nylander was the 8^th Overall Pick in the 2014 Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs and it did not take long for him to be a top forward for the club.

After he was drafted, Nylander spent the next two years switching from the Swedish League and the AHL, and he made his NHL debut in February of 2016, finishing with 13 Points in 21 Games, proving that he belonged permanently on the main roster.  Nylander scored 61 Points in each of the next two years, but a pay dispute led to a late start in 2018/19, and he was off all year, producing only 27 Points in 54 Games leading to concern among the fan base.   They needn’t have worried.

Nylander bounced back with his first 30-plus year (31) in 2019/20, and in 2021/22, broke out with his first 80 Point campaign.   The Swedish Center imrproved his numbers in 2022-23 Goals (40), Assists (47) and Points (87), and last year he came close to 100 Points (98) with his second straight 40 Goal year.  His performance was so good, that he finally made it to the All-Star Game.

While Auston Matthews gains the most attention, much of Toronto's offensive power comes from Nylander.