Outside of the "Core 4", the Maple Leafs' success in 2024-25 revolves around three key players

The Leafs made several changes to their roster this summer and are also coming into the 2024-25 season with a vastly different coaching staff than what we saw last season.

While there were no moves made to alter the team's core this summer, with all of the other changes made, there's hope that the additions they did make will augment the team's main pieces nicely, creating a seamless fit and improvements in all of the right areas.

In terms of who needs to step up the most this season, strong seasons from Matthew Knies, Joseph Woll and Chris Tanev are players who are vital to the team's success.

Knies is coming into his sophomore season, and if he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump and continue his upward trajectory, the Leafs will already be better for it. The Arizona product produced 15 goals and 35 points in a promising rookie campaign in 2023-24, and if he sees significant time with Auston Matthews on the top line, doubling his production this season and finishing in the 70-point range is not out of the question.

When it comes to Joseph Woll, we all know what the concerns are, and they relate to his health. In recent years, Woll has shown an inability to remain healthy, and while the team seems to view his injury history as more bad luck than anything else, the fear still exists that one bad movement or one good bump could take him out of the game for an extended period, which would be disastrous for the Maple Leafs. If healthy, Woll can be a gamechanger, as we found out in the playoffs. "If healthy" being the operative words.

On the subject of Chris Tanev, there's no question that the Leafs' most sizable commitment of the summer needs to pay dividends early to help this team find another level. The team's premier offseason acquisition has built a reputation as one of the league's top defensive defensemen, and his puck-moving skills are well above average as well, making Tanev a vital part of the Leafs' transition game. If Tanev falters early and struggles to find chemistry with his new teammates or, worse yet, suffers a significant injury, it could really hamper the team's ability to take that next step that they need to take.

Honorable mention here goes to Morgan Rielly. As the longest-tenured Maple Leaf, it will be on Rielly to help lead from the back end, producing like he does each and every season. Perhaps with the new additions, Rielly himself can take another step and become more productive with a slight reduction in his minutes, keeping more energy in his legs throughout the course of a game.

There are plenty of Leafs who will need to ensure that they arrive this season in good shape and ready to work under a new coaching staff, but in terms of the 3 who the Leafs need to have a strong campaign, Knies, Woll and Tanev stand out the most.

Source: Elite Prospects
Matthew Knies player profile, Joseph Woll player profile, Chris Tanev player profile