The Toronto Maple Leafs are making a captaincy change. The Hockey News breaks down why Auston Matthews will become the 26th captain in franchise history. As we inch closer to the start of the 2024-25 season, various rankings and lists have begun to emerge, evaluating players, teams, and management ahead of the opening night puck drop. The latest list dropped on Wednesday as the NHL Network [https://x.com/NHLNetwork/status/1823857132124692690] highlighted who they believe are the top 20 wingers in the league right now. Cracking the list are Toronto Maple Leafs stars William Nylander and Mitch Marner. The duo made it into the top 10, with Nylander ranking eighth and Marner in the 10th spot. Aside from Sam Reinhart, who ranked in between the two, the other players on the list are as follows. 1. Nikita Kucherov (44G, 100A, 144P) 2. Matthew Tkachuk (26G, 62A, 88P) 3. Mikko Rantanen (42G, 62A, 104P) 4. David Pastrnak (47G, 63A, 110P) 5. Artemi Panarin (49G, 71A, 120P) 6. Jason Robertson (29G, 51A, 80P) 7. Kirill Kaprizov (46G, 50A, 96P) (8. William Nylander) (40G, 58A, 98P) 9. Sam Reinhart (57G, 37A, 94P) (10. Mitch Marner) (26G, 59A, 85P) While goals, assists, and points are important metrics, they don’t fully capture a player’s value. Based on those numbers alone, one could argue that Nylander should be higher in the top 10 considering he tallied more points than three players listed ahead of him. However, his eighth-place ranking is still reflective of his offensive prowess and high-scoring consistency in the 2023-24 season. From a bigger picture, Nylander has had improved numbers in goals, assists, and points over the last three seasons. In 2023-24, he tied his career-high in goals, putting up back-to-back 40-goal seasons. He also found career-highs in assists (58) and points (98), nearly reaching the 100-point plateau. In the postseason, despite only playing in four games, he was effective. The Swede found the back of the net three times over Game 6 and 7 of their opening-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins – ultimately scoring the club’s final three goals of the season. His strong play throughout the season granted him an eight-year, $92 million contract extension with a full no-movement clause and an average annual value of $11.5 million per season. As for Marner, he scored his lowest amount of goals, assists, and points since the 2020-21 shortened season. In the regular season, he finished with 26 goals, 59 assists, and 85 points. In the postseason, he added a goal and two assists in seven games. However, despite finishing lower in production in 2023-24, the forward has maintained his role as a dynamic playmaker and penalty-killer while still being an essential contributor to the team’s overall success. He has been utilized heavily in Toronto’s offensive and defensive strategy. For that, it solidifies his status as one of the league’s top wingers on the NHL Network’s list. After his ranking at number 10, the remaining wingers are as follows. 11. Zach Hyman (54G, 23A, 77P) 12. Brady Tkachuk (37G, 37A, 74P) 13. Steven Stamkos (40G, 41A, 81P) 14. Filip Forsberg (48G, 46A, 94P) 15. Kyle Connor (34G, 27A, 61P) 16. Jake Guentzel (30G, 47A, 77P) 17. Clayton Keller (33G, 43A, 76P) 18. Brad Marchand (29G, 38A, 67P) 19. Alex Ovechkin (31G, 34A, 65P) 20. Travis Konecny (33G, 35A, 68P) Of these 10, Marner has (by a large margin) the most assists and the second most points aside from Filip Forsberg. His overall value is evident not just in his statistical contributions but also in his impact on both ends of the ice. Despite a dip in production, Marner's ability to create opportunities for his teammates and his effectiveness in penalty-killing situations underscore his importance to his team’s success in other ways. Entering the final season of a six-year, $65.41 million contract, the 27-year-old's future with the Leafs has been a topic of speculation over the summer. However, with the season approaching and trade rumors quiet, it appears he will remain with the team for the final year of his deal. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related 'It Was Pretty Cool To See Them Wearing The 34 With The C': Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Surprised to See John Tavares' Sons Wearing New Captain's Jersey [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/it-was-pretty-cool-to-see-them-wearing-the-34-with-the-c-maple-leafs-auston-matthews-surprised-to-see-john-tavares-sons-wearing-new-captains-jersey] Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan Visited John Tavares to Gauge How He'd Handle Idea of Passing Captaincy to Auston Matthews [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-president-brendan-shanahan-visited-john-tavares-to-gauge-how-hed-handle-idea-of-passing-captaincy-to-auston-matthews] Counting Down the Top 10 Maple Leafs Prospects in 2024: No. 7 - Roni Hirvonen [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/counting-down-the-top-10-maple-leafs-prospects-in-2024-no-7-roni-hirvonen] News from THN.com Look At the 99 Stanley Cup Rings a Recent Photograph Represents [https://thehockeynews.com/news/look-at-the-99-stanley-cup-rings-a-recent-photograph-represents] Olympic Week: Why the Winner of the 4 Nations Face-Off Won't Necessarily Win at the 2026 Olympics [https://thehockeynews.com/news/olympic-week-why-the-winner-of-the-4-nations-face-off-wont-necessarily-win-at-the-2026-olympics] NHL Hot Seat Radar: While Sabres Owner Pegula May Be at the End of His Losing Line, Young Star Dahlin's Spot is Cemented [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-hot-seat-radar-while-sabres-owner-pegula-may-be-at-the-end-of-his-losing-line-young-star-dahlins-spot-is-cemented]
