Former Leaf receiving one heck of an opportunity with his new team
The Toronto Maple Leafs experienced a great deal of change this summer, aside from the team's core, of course. Not only have they found themselves with a new GM in Brad Treliving, but a number of new supporting cast members in Ryan Reaves, Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and John Klingberg, among others.
One of the players from last year's team whom many had assumed would be re-signed this summer was Alex Kerfoot. There were reports surfacing in June suggesting that the Leafs and Kerfoot's camp were talking extension, but when free agency opened up, Kerfoot found his way off to Arizona.
Kerfoot was maligned for much of his time in Toronto, largely because he was a key piece that came back to the Leafs from the Colorado Avalanche after beloved Leaf, Nazem Kadri, was dealt to the Avs in 2019. Kerfoot wasn't a bad player by any stretch of the imagination. He just wasn't what the Leafs needed.
Now in Arizona, Kerfoot finds himself in a very enviable position heading into tonight's season opener for the Coyotes, skating on a line with top prospect Logan Cooley on the team's 2nd scoring line.
Cooley, drafted 3rd overall in 2022, is one of the brightest young prospects in hockey. For Leaf fans, we're very familiar with Cooley, as he played with Matthew Knies at the University of Minnesota last season, racking up an astonishing 60 points in 39 games with the Leafs rookie.
In a recent interview, Cooley told GoPhnx.com's Craig Morgan that he has every intention of challenging for the Calder Trophy this year, which pits him against Chicago's 2023 1st overall pick, Connor Bedard. It seems like a lofty goal for Cooley, but he emphasized that he has high expectations for himself and that he believes that the goals he has set for himself are realistic.
"I've always had high expectations for myself going to the hockey rink. I want to help this team win as many games as possible. I want to contribute to the team in any way possible, but yeah, I do want to put up big numbers, I do want to compete every night and I want to win the Calder Trophy. The reason I turned pro is because I felt ready to take the next step and I'm confident in my abilities to do those things that I want to accomplish this year." - Cooley on his primary goals for his rookie season
If Cooley is as good as he appears to be, Kerfoot may have just won the lottery in Arizona, at least for the time being. Kerfoot's career high is just 51 points, which he reached in 2021-22, playing primarily in the Leafs' top six. Assuming Cooley makes good on his goals, and if Kerfoot can maintain his spot next to the 19-year-old, he could be in line to meet or exceed his previous career high in points in 2023-24.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 13 | 54 ANSWERS Former Leaf receiving one heck of an opportunity with his new team Will Alexander Kerfoot beat his previous career best 51 points this season in Arizona? | ||
| Not a chance | 31 | 57.4 % |
| Yes, he definitely will playing with Cooley | 8 | 14.8 % |
| I like his chances, but it's not a certainty | 15 | 27.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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