With Mitch Marner now gone and part of the Vegas Golden Knights, a chance in Toronto is about to present itself. The Leafs hope that one of their new acquisitions will arise and play an important offensive role in the team, but the reality is that their own native attacker might be the answer to their questions about point production.
Leaving with Marner is his 100-point season. Finding someone who can get close is a challenge, but Matthew Breies has the best chance. The 22-year-old winger comes from a breakout season.
Breess set a career high last season with 58 points in 78 games. He played with both Auston Matthews and Marner, on the top line. He scores skate, score, beat and make meaningful chaos, what exactly is what the Leafs need. His aggressive, net-driving style and willingness to attack areas with a high outdoor make him best suited for an offensive explosion.
It will be difficult to ask while William Nylyer to do more than he already does. He is a proven offensive star and even with a greater chance, there is only so much higher that his ceiling can go. Brees, however, has demonstrably not scraped the surface of what it is capable of. Head coach Craig Berube will have little choice, but to call the attacker is critical situations and it will be to answer.
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He will also be the primary partner with Matthews, who has to prove that he is more than the by -product of playing with Marner. If Byies can clean up Matthews and can take advantage of rebounds created by what is expected to be an increase in shots, Knies can easily be 35-40 goals pots if it is healthy throughout the season.
For knitting, 65-70 points must be seen as a basic line. He has to start this season and prove that he is a lock on the top line and then settles as one of the most valuable young players in the franchise. The team invested in him for an amount of $ 46.5 million. He must exceed that contract in every conceivable way.
Knies is seen as a possible fit for the upcoming Olympic selection of Team USA if they strive for gold and that will also have motivated him to show that he still has an acceleration. If he wants to make that team, a point-per-game season is probably a minimum requirement, especially if he competes with people like Jack Hughes.
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