Maple Leafs end-of-season report cards: Grades for coaching, front office and players

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The 2024-25 Maple Leafs season was one of the most memorable in recent memory. With an overhauled blue line, elite goaltending and some of the core forwards elevating their respective games, the Leafs won the Atlantic Division for the first time.

Throughout the roster, who performed best, from the front office to the coaching staff to the players? Rather than straight-up letter grades, we continued with something a little more specific: a number-based grading system that one of us (Kloke!) devised.

As always, grades are assigned based on performance, considering expectations and salary. Those not on the current roster (i.e. not likely to play at all in the playoffs or with the Marlies) and/or who have not played at least 15 games were not included.

9+: All-star worthy
8-9: Great season so far
7-8: Good to very good season

6-7: Marginal to decent impact nightly
5-6: Low impact or not meeting expectations
5 and under: No impact

Front office

Brad Treliving

Kloke: 7.8

Siegel: 7.8

Anthony Stolarz and Chris Tanev were big hits and Craig Berube, Treliving’s first hire as Leafs GM, found a comfy fit behind the bench. Steven Lorentz was an ideal fourth-line addition and the Brandon Carlo acquisition looks like a positive move for now and the future. Treliving didn’t add any scoring depth at the deadline, though, and the Scott Laughton-third-line-centre thing went bust pretty quickly. Looming largest is whether the decision to run back the same core will pay dividends. — Siegel

Coaching staff

Craig Berube

Siegel: 7.5

Kloke: 8.5

It’s hard to quibble with the results: in Berube’s first season, the Leafs won their first Atlantic Division crown. They did so by buying into a system that wasn’t always the most aesthetically-pleasing, but, again, got results. Even if a big part of those results came from once-in-a-generation goaltending from the Leafs, Berube deserves credit for his communication style with players, matching well with opposing coaches and pushing this team to adopt a new identity in such a short period of time. — Kloke

Forwards

Max Domi

Siegel: 5.5

Kloke: 5.5

Domi’s playmaking was valuable in his first season in Toronto. But this season? He logged a little over half the five-on-five assists he did in 2023-24. His decreased production wasn’t in line with his $3.75 million cap hit and beyond that, Domi failed to play well with different line combinations. Add in the predilection for needless penalties and the suspect defensive play? It was a disappointing season for a player capable of so much more. — Kloke

Pontus Holmberg

Kloke: 6.3

Siegel: 6.0

One positive for Holmberg? He won a fan in the person who matters most: Berube. The support of the head coach kept Holmberg in the lineup most of the season despite very minimal offensive contributions. — Siegel

David Kämpf

Siegel: 6.0

Kloke: 5.9

The once-trusted fourth-line centre fell out of favor with Berube. Kämpf had a marginally better late-season swing but never looked completely comfortable and effective in 2024-25. — Kloke

Matthew Knies made a giant leap this season. (Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images)

Matthew Knies

Kloke: 8.9

Siegel: 9.0

Knies made a giant leap this season, becoming a high-scoring first-line power forward who kills penalties and dominates the net front on the power play. — Siegel

Scott Laughton

Kloke: 6.0

Siegel: 5.0

He looked a little more comfortable late in the season, but that was on the fourth line. The Leafs paid a high price (first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin) for him to be their third-line centre, a role he quickly lost (but was also never really suited for). — Siegel

Steven Lorentz was a ridiculously good addition by GM Brad Treliving. (Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

Steven Lorentz

Siegel: 8.5

Kloke: 7.8

Lorentz was a ridiculously good addition by Treliving: production in line with his career highs, reliability, physicality, energy and pure vibes. This is a player who soaks up the chance to be a Maple Leaf and turns that passion into results. The perfect fourth-liner? We’ll allow it. — Kloke

Mitch Marner

Kloke: 9.1

Siegel: 9.0

For the regular season anyway, Marner handled the potential contract distraction — not to mention the team’s request to trade him at the deadline amid those discussions — about as well as the Leafs could have hoped. Marner delivered the first 100-point season of his career and remained an excellent defender. — Siegel

Auston Matthews

Siegel: 7.7

Kloke: 7.9

On the one hand, Matthews put up 1.17 points per game, a top-10 number in the league. A lot of that came from his highest total assists per 60 minutes (1.99) of his career. Adding a playmaking tool to his toolbelt isn’t a bad thing, for sure.

On the other hand, Matthews just never looked like the game-breaking Matthews for long stretches this season. Maybe the mysterious injury continued to nag him. Maybe the added responsibility of being Leafs captain became a distraction. Maybe it was nothing more than a down year.

Either way, this season could very well eat at him. I’d bet on a different Matthews in 2025. — Kloke

Bobby McMann

Kloke: 7.8

Siegel: 8.0

It wasn’t always consistent, but a 20-goal season, with loads of speed and physicality, from a player earning $1.35 million cap dollars who filled in as a fourth-liner not so long ago, deserves top marks. — Siegel

William Nylander

Siegel: 9.0

Kloke: 9.2

Nylander finished tied for fifth in the NHL in goals per game (0.55) as he continued his ascent into superstardom. His consistency sometimes gets taken for granted in Toronto, but it shouldn’t: Nylander’s attitude and ability to constantly top expectations make him a perfect fit for being a Leaf. — Kloke

Max Pacioretty

Kloke: 5.9

Siegel: 6.0

Pacioretty had his moments, especially the momentum-changing hits. But he just wasn’t healthy enough and/or able to play because of salary cap reasons to really make an impact during the regular season. — Siegel

Nick Robertson

Kloke: 6.4

Siegel: 6.0

Robertson didn’t take a step forward this season. Though he ended up with a career high in goals — the seventh most goals on the Leafs — Robertson logged about the same minutes as last season and remains dogged by the same questions (decision-making with the puck, defensive play, any impact beyond scoring). — Siegel

John Tavares was the model of consistency this season. (Jayne Kamin / Oncea-Imagn Images)

John Tavares

Siegel: 8.1

Kloke: 8.3

How can you not have, like, the most respect possible for what Tavares did this season? There were just seven players over the age of 30 who logged a point-per-game and even fewer who did so amidst the uncertainty of playing in a contract year. Tavares was the model of consistency and it’s not hard to draw a line between the continuous off-ice work he does and his success. The former captain was reliable defensively and a justified Masterton nominee in Toronto. — Kloke

Defence

Simon Benoit

Kloke: 5.7

Siegel: 5.0

Benoit really struggled without Jake McCabe by his side. His defensive impact declined, his puck-moving limitations were often exposed, and he wasn’t nearly as physical. — Siegel

Brandon Carlo

Siegel: 8.0

Kloke: 8.5

The most impactful Leafs’ trade deadline acquisition in recent memory? Players who are added to serious expectations at the deadline will tell you how hard it is to get comfortable and implement their game. But Carlo didn’t stutter as he jumped into the lineup. He has elevated a struggling Morgan Rielly and provided defensive stability. Off the ice, he’s found a role in Toronto as the constantly-smiling, widely-appreciated bringer of positivity. A low-key contender for one of the most important Leafs in the postseason. — Kloke

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Siegel: 7.0

Kloke: 7.1

Ekman-Larsson looked like he was drinking from the fountain of youth to start the season, settled down and then fit nicely into the third-pair role he is best suited for. He’s clearly more than the offensively-minded blueliner he was thought to be coming into the season. — Kloke

Jake McCabe

Siegel: 8.0

Kloke: 8.4

If you set the injuries aside, this season showcased some of the best hockey McCabe has played in his 10 full seasons. The stalwart defender had to eat the tough matchups and the Leafs were a worse team when he wasn’t on the ice, both to the eye test and analytically. McCabe made tough plays look simple and didn’t get the credit he deserved. Let’s hope, though, the injuries — to his head and otherwise — don’t have serious long-term impacts on him. — Kloke

Philippe Myers

Kloke: 6.2

Siegel: 7.0

Myers figured to be more like a use-in-case-of-emergency guy, and he was that during the early months of the season. But when he got his opportunity, he took it and earned himself nearly half a season’s worth of games. — Siegel

Morgan Rielly

Siegel: 6.8

Kloke: 7.0

Rielly hasn’t performed to his capabilities this season. And to his credit, he’s owned that. While there have been inklings that “Playoff Rielly” will emerge, this regular season will be remembered for more defensive gaffes than we’re used to, inconsistent play and some of his lowest production since he was just learning the league. Off the ice, it does sound like he’s continued to be a force for good around the team’s young players. And, again, he deserves credit for that. — Kloke

Chris Tanev

Kloke: 8.9

Siegel: 9.0

He set the Leafs’ single-season shot blocking record and was among the better defensive defencemen in the NHL. He also stayed mostly healthy. A really strong first season playing in his hometown. — Siegel

Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz were both strong in net this season for Toronto. (James Guillory / Imagn Images)

Goalies

Anthony Stolarz

Kloke: 9.1

Siegel: 9.0

The only mark against him is that he didn’t play that many games — just 33 starts. But the expectation wasn’t much more than that, and for a guy who had been a career backup to play this well with more opportunity was mighty impressive, especially for only $2.5 million on the cap. — Siegel

Joseph Woll

Siegel: 7.5

Kloke: 8.2

Woll’s season might not look as strong compared to Stolarz’s, but that shouldn’t matter: In his first proper, full NHL season, Woll played in more than half the games and looked more than capable for the job. His .909 save percentage is 11th in the NHL among goalies with 30 games played. Woll rebounded quickly from bad goals and losses, which isn’t easy for goalies to do. His future as Toronto’s No. 1 shouldn’t be in doubt and this season was another step toward the top of the mountain. — Kloke

(Top photo: Nick Turchiaro / Imagn Images)

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