New Year’s Resolutions for the Maple Leafs in 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs will undoubtedly want to make 2025 another big year for everyone involved.

After all, the team is doing well for the most part despite all the adversity they have faced thus far and are slowly adopting to a new system under head coach Craig Berube. They also have a legitimate shot of winning their first proper division title since winning the Northeast Division in 2000.

A new year calls for motivation to change your ways and set goals for yourself to follow for the next 12 months. Whether it’s wanting to stay more active, spend more time with friends, or take up new hobbies, the change of the calendar is a prime opportunity to adjust to your life and try something different to begin the new year.

While we may not know exactly what resolutions the Leafs players and key members may want to set for themselves, we at The Leafs Nation will give our interpretations of what the players may decide to be their New Year’s resolutions for 2025.

Forwards

Auston Matthews: Get back to full health

Matthews hasn’t looked like himself for large stretches of this season but continues to play at a point-per-game pace. The captain needs to get things sorted with his health even if that means even more time away, but that is better than missing any playoff action.

Mitch Marner: Produce in crunch time in the playoffs

Marner has always been productive in the regular season, but the issue for him has always been the lack of offence in Games 5 through 7 in any playoff series. He needs to have the playoffs of his life this year or else he could be heading to a new team in the offseason.

William Nylander: Win the Rocket Richard

Nylander is at the peak of his powers and has been one of the Leafs’ most important players so far this season. He has arguably been even better than in the 2023-24 season, putting himself squarely in the race for the goal-scoring crown.

John Tavares: Be in contention for a reserve spot on Team Canada

Tavares is off to a strong start and shows no signs of slowing down even as he goes deeper into his 30s. He may have missed the cut for the Canadian roster at the 4 Nations, but he will no doubt be motivated to show he should be the first name they call as a replacement.

Matthew Knies: Beat Matthews at tennis again

Knies is having a monster season so far and is doing everything in his power to put himself in a position to get a big paycheque from the Leafs in the summer. One thing he surely would love to do is have another crack at facing off against Matthews in the summer during a round of tennis to prove definitively that he ‘smoked’ him.

Max Domi: Be more selfish

For a guy who is great at dishing the puck, Domi has a great shot that he does not use a whole lot. When he does, it’s a tricky one to stop and that can make him a key component of the secondary scoring. Using it more frequently could help make the dry spells a lot shorter than what he experienced in the early going.

Max Pacioretty: Keep delivering the big hits

The early returns of Pacioretty in the Blue and White have been positive, but one thing that many didn’t anticipate is his willingness to lay the body and go for the big hits. It has been a welcome sight and has provided a jolt that helps make the Leafs tougher to play against so he needs to keep that up.

Bobby McMann: Utilize his speed as much as possible

McMann is a great skater who can be difficult to contain when he is in full flight. He would be wise to keep using his speed to generate offence as a good chunk of his goals have come with him coming down the lane and getting a wicked shot off.

Nick Robertson: Get better at his puck control

Robertson has calmed the noise down about his future with the team, but his puck control remains a work in progress. Getting that area of his game cleaned up will help ensure he is a mainstay and not part of the rotation.

Connor Dewar: Improve his faceoff efficiency

If there is one thing that Dewar would like to be better at, it is probably his faceoff percentage, which is 43.1 percent at the time of filing. Getting that number closer to 50 percent or better will do wonders in making him a reliable option in the faceoff circle.

David Kampf: Stay true to who he is

Kampf may not be an offensive dynamo, but he can be a dependable option on the defensive end and the draws. He needs to keep that up with Dewar breathing down his neck for a spot in the lineup.

Steven Lorentz: Keep doing your thing

Lorentz knows his role and is playing it to perfection, which is why he has yet to be a healthy scratch so far this season. If he keeps up his strong defensive play, there is a good chance his stay in Toronto could be for more than a year.

Pontus Holmberg: Provide some offence

As good as Holmberg has been defensively, he has always struggled to generate offence. Finding a way to get more scoring chances could help him be more than just a role player.

Ryan Reaves: Get into at least one fight

While fighting is not as integral to the game of hockey as it was when he first started in the NHL, there have been too many moments where Reaves has passed on the opportunity to drop the gloves. He doesn’t need to fight every single night, but getting into at least one would no doubt ease some concerns fans have.

Defence

Morgan Rielly: Regain his 2023 Playoff form

Despite being the Leafs’ highest-scoring defenceman so far this season, it has been uncharacteristic showing for Rielly. No doubt he has it in him to play better and his showing in the spring of 2023 is the kind of player he can be when at his best, so he needs to regain that magic again.

Chris Tanev: Invest in an ice pack company

Tanev has been one of the elite defensive defencemen in the NHL this season and has been among the league leaders in blocked shots. Having to face that much rubber is no doubt going to sting over time but he won’t stop doing it because it is what he believes helps the team win.

Jake McCabe: Don’t change a thing

McCabe has emerged as one of the Leafs’ most dependable defenceman with a strong partnership with Tanev that has been among the league’s best shutdown pairs. Simply put, he just needs to stick with it because it is working wonders right now.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Spend more time on his dominant side

Ekman-Larsson has shown flashes of his offensive skillset while there have also been some moments where he demonstrated his nastiness physically. Although he can play on his off-side when needed, he is at his best when slotted on the left side of the ice so the Leafs would be best suited using him there more often.

Conor Timmins: Get his defensive game back on track

Timmins was one of the pleasant surprises coming out of training camp, outshining Timothy Liljegren so much that he was forced out. It has been good to see Timmins stay healthy for the first time in ages, but that means his defensive deficiencies have been exposed in recent weeks which he will need to iron out as the season progresses.

Simon Benoit: Be tougher to play against

For a guy whose bread and butter has been to play physically and shut down the opposition, Benoit’s second season in Toronto has not been to the same standard he set a year ago. He needs to stay true to his role of being a player with piss and vinegar, no need to reinvent the wheel here.

Philippe Myers: Become an everyday player again

Myers has not been an NHL regular since the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign where he played in 44 games with the Philadephia Flyers. While he has shown flashes when used, he will need to make the most of his future opportunities to ensure that Berube has no choice but to keep him in the rotation for longer.

Jani Hakanpaa: Get back to full strength in recovery from injury

With only two games played so far this season, Hakanpaa has had a difficult time staying in the lineup because of his knees. This may have been a risk going into the season, but it has no doubt been disappointing that he hasn’t been much of a factor so far.

Goalie

Anthony Stolarz: Not skip a beat when he returns to the lineup

Stolarz has arguably been the Leafs’ MVP this season, which is why seeing him get hurt was a tough setback. The good news is his diagnosis had no structural damage, so here’s hoping he gets back on track when he returns..

Joseph Woll: Prove he can handle a heavy workload

While injury concerns have not gone away, one thing that Woll needs to still showcase is his ability to handle a big workload like what he is about to endure with Stolarz out for at least a month. This could help give Berube faith that he can lean on either of his netminders if needed.

Matt Murray: Become an NHL regular again

Seeing Murray back in the NHL after missing so much time due to bilateral hip surgery was a heartwarming moment for him and the team. Of course, getting back there is only one part of the equation because the next challenge is to prove he still has what it takes to be an effective goalie.

Dennis Hildeby: Take a step in his development with the Marlies

Hildeby had a strong rookie season in the AHL last year and this time around has seen some NHL action with the Leafs. There have been flashes of his potential, but he is still raw and would be better suited to spending more time with the Marlies.

Others

Craig Berube: Get a big alarm clock

There is not a lot that Berube has had to complain about when it comes to the Leafs in the early stages of his tenure, but one thing he would probably like to see less of is the slow starts. He has already had a few moments of pleading for his players to wake up, so he will be motivated to get that fixed.

Brad Treliving: Acquire a middle-six centre

Treliving will have a lot on his plate as the season progresses in terms of making upgrades to the roster, but none more so than adding quality depth up the middle. Their depth beyond the top-six is not quite strong enough and their best option on the Marlies in Fraser Minten needs more seasoning.

Brendan Shanahan: See the Leafs have success in the postseason

With only one series win since Shanahan joined the organization in 2014, his seat has never been hotter with so much of the direction of the team riding on how this season goes. He is putting his managerial legacy on the line by continuing to put his faith in the Core Four so he will either finally be proven right or go down with the ship.