Toronto Maple Leafs preseason takeaways: 3 glaring issues that need to be addressed before start of 2024-25 regular season

The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to open their season on Wednesday against Original Six rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. After a relatively uneventful training camp, the Maple Leafs head into the regular season hoping to make a deep playoff run come next spring.

With that in mind, there are three glaring issues the Toronto Maple Leafs will need to address before the 2024-25 season starts.

3 glaring issues the Toronto Maple Leafs need to address ahead of the 2024-25 season.

#1. William Nylander at center

Earlier this fall, Leafs coach Craig Berube discussed the need to move William Nylander from the wing to center. The experiment, while not the first time it has been tried, was met with some skepticism due to Nylander’s apparent unwillingness to play defense.

Thus far, the experiment has yielded mixed results. Nylander played one preseason game at center before switching places with Max Domi. Heading into the regular season, the Leafs must decide if Nylander will remain at center.

If not, the club has to decide who will take over as the second-line center, with John Tavares likely destined for the third line. As it stands, the job will go to Domi. But other options may emerge as the season wears on.

#2. The third-line center

Speaking of Tavares, he suffered a lower-body injury during a preseason game against the Habs. While Tavares has been listed as day-to-day, the Leafs are not rushing him back. As such, the question remains as to who will take over the third-line center position.

The top candidate for the role appears to be Pontus Holmberg. Holmberg is a fast, reliable player who has filled the role in the past. If the Toronto Maple Leafs are counting on Holmberg to fill in for Tavares, Berube must decide how long Holmberg will be in that spot, at least until Tavares returns.

If Tavares misses any significant time, the Leafs could permanently keep Holmberg as the third-line center.

#3. Nick Robertson’s spot in the lineup

After a summer of drama, Nick Robertson has won his spot on the team. He’s likely headed for the second-line, left-wing spot alongside Nylander and Domi.

However, the emergence of other wingers, such as Bobby McMann and Max Pacioretty, has cast some doubt as to where Robertson could fit in. There’s no question that Robertson deserves a shot in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top six.

As such, Berube must establish where Robertson fits into the lineup. Doing so will go a long way toward setting the tone for where the Leafs plan to use Robertson. Otherwise, the club must be clear on its plans for Robertson moving forward.