It’s 2023! I won’t go through some of the top highlights from 2022 — Catch-67 already took care of that yesterday. But if how they ended the 2022 year against the defending champs is any indication, we’re ready to start 2023 on the right foot.

A new year brings a new sense of hope. Maybe this is it — maybe this is finally Toronto’s year for the playoffs.

Which is kinda weird to say, because we’ve been through this a few times before and all of the important players are almost exactly the same. But we have a couple of new goalies who (until this month) have been pretty great. We have some shiny new toys in the bottom six, including a prospect like Pontus Holmberg who has seemingly come out of nowhere to become a fan and coach favourite.

And we’re expecting to get a shiny new toy (or two) come the deadline, in the form of a trade and/or bringing in Matthew Knies once his NCAA season is over. We don’t know if the big trade acquisition winds up being a forward or a defenseman, but we can 100% expect to debate that 24/7 until the deadline is over.

I know who I’ll have on my wishlist: Conor Garland. Because I’ve always liked him.

32 Thoughts: What will Maple Leafs’ trade deadline priority be? (video) | by Sportsnet

Joseph Woll is on the comeback trail entering 2023 | by MLHS

Appreciating William Nylander’s hot start to the 2022–23 season with the Maple Leafs | by TLN

Connor Bedard has chased down history, and he’ll chase down more | by Scott Wheeler

Want to see Max Domi getting booed by Columbus fans during a tribute video about him and Seth Jones? Hell yeah you do!

Have a great new year everyone!

From The Branches