Former Maple Leafs in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs

van Riemsdyk’s presence served as a reminder that former Maple Leafs are littered throughout the NHL playoff bracket, with many making an impact in a number of the ongoing first round series. Let’s check in on all the ex-Leafs currently mixing it up in the postseason:

Zach Hyman

Zach Hyman’s remarkable 54-goal season elicited mixed emotions among Toronto fans, who were thrilled for the popular former Leaf and current Edmonton Oiler but were forced to undergo a new wave of regret over his free agency departure in the 2021 offseason. The same $5.5 million average annual salary that proved prohibitive for the cap-strapped Maple Leafs three years ago now looks like an enviable bargain for Edmonton.

Don’t look now, Leafs fans, but Hyman has picked up in the playoffs right where he left off at the end of the regular season. Just two games into the Oilers’ opening round series against the Los Angeles Kings, the 31-year-old has a postseason-high four goals, including a Game 1 hat trick. He’s also demonstrated the physical side of his game, landing a devastating open ice body check on Kings forward Phillip Danault in Game 2.

Cody Ceci

Although not nearly as fondly remembered as Hyman, occasional Toronto whipping boy Cody Ceci has taken on a significant role on the Oilers’ blue line. Ceci is currently paired with Darnell Nurse on the club’s second defensive unit, slotted right behind Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm. As such, he’s averaged 20:20 of ice time thus far, good for fifth among Edmonton skaters. The Toronto-to-Edmonton pipeline also includes goaltenders Calvin Pickard and, of course, Jack Campbell, but the Oilers are probably hoping Stuart Skinner plays well enough to ensure that no other netminders see the ice.

Trevor Moore

Much like Hyman, Trevor Moore represents a positive development story for the Maple Leafs, albeit one that also includes regret over letting a future 30-goal scorer slip through the organization’s fingers. The undrafted free agent was included in the Campbell trade, which saw the California native join his hometown team alongside some draft picks because Toronto needed a goalie. While the deal worked out for both sides, it’s since been extremely beneficial for Los Angeles after Moore’s 31-goal campaign. He also potted a Game 1 goal against the Oilers.

The Kings currently boast three other little-used former Leafs. Carl Grundstrom was part of the Jake Muzzin trade and has seen sparse minutes through two games, while goalies David Rittich and Aaron Dell both saw brief time in Toronto.

Ryan O’Reilly

Last season’s heartwarming story of Ryan O’Reilly joining his hometown Maple Leafs and helping them advance past the first round ended on a bit of a sour note when he decided he didn’t want to stick around upon hitting free agency. To add further insult to injury in Toronto, the 33-year-old put together his best season since 2018-19, tallying 26 goals and adding 69 points for the Nashville Predators. In the postseason, he recorded a power-play goal in a losing Game 1 effort and registered a plus-2 rating in a Game 2 4-1 victory.

Also joining Nashville from the 2022-23 Maple Leafs in free agency was Luke Schenn, who now serves as part of the club’s third defensive pairing. Former Leaf Tyson Barrie also remains in the Predators organization, but he hasn’t seen game action since March.

Frederik Andersen

You don’t award the Conn Smythe Award after half a round of playoff hockey. But if you did, Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen would certainly be in consideration. This Andersen (3-0, 2.01 goals against average, .922 save percentage) is producing the type of postseason performance that Toronto could have really used over the five seasons he was manning the pipes here. Now healthy after dealing with blood-clotting issues, the Danish netminder is a big reason why the Hurricanes are up 3-0 amidst a dominant first round.

Jimmy Vesey

Given the physically imposing, bullying nature of the New York Rangers, it doesn’t seem like they share much in common with the Maple Leafs. However, there are actually four Rangers players with past connections to Toronto. Jimmy Vesey had a rather disappointing 30-game tenure with the club, scoring just five goals before being placed on waivers. Now in a second tour of duty with the Blueshirts, he has a goal and an assist in two games coming off of a 13-goal regular season.

Another surprising producer for the Presidents’ Trophy winners has been Leafs’ 2023 trade deadline pickup Erik Gustavsson, who has followed up a 31-point regular season with two assists in as many playoff games. Depth forwards Riley Nash and Nic Petan are also former Maple Leafs currently of the Rangers’ organization, although they are currently representing the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL playoffs.

Ilya Mikheyev

Over two seasons in Vancouver, Ilya Mikheyev still hasn’t achieved the same level of success that he enjoyed over his 21-goal 2021-22 campaign in Toronto. That being said, the 29-year-old winger has performed well enough to secure his spot on the Canucks’ second line alongside Elias Pettersson. Two games into the playoffs, the “soup” man has been mostly quiet, managing no points and just one shot on goal in 11:14 per game. Fellow ex-Leaf Sam Lafferty has been pushed even further down the Vancouver lineup, averaging just 9:33 of ice time through two games.

Pierre Engvall

The New York Islanders appear headed for an early playoff exit, facing a 3-0 hole against the Carolina Hurricanes. Doing his best to keep the team above water is Pierre Engvall, who is producing from the third line alongside Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He got the UBS Arena fans going in Game 3, cutting a 2-0 Hurricanes’ lead in half with an early second period goal. In Game 2, he recorded an assist on Lee’s goal to improve what was then an ill-fated 3-0 Islanders’ lead.

If New York is eliminated in Game 4, it could mark the final game of long-time Islander Matt Martin’s career. Martin has spent 13 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Isles, with the other two coming as a member of the Maple Leafs. Nowadays, the 34-year-old plays sparingly and is mostly leaned on for veteran guidance.

Other Former Leafs

Although they may not be making their presence felt in the same way as some of their aforementioned Toronto alumni, there’s a group of former Leafs currently sitting further down the pecking order of their respective teams and waiting for an opportunity. In Vegas, Michael Amadio has yet to slot in for a playoff game despite 14 regular season goals, while teammate Ben Hutton hasn’t managed to crack a deep Golden Knights blue line.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Nicolas Aube-Kubel is averaging just nine minutes of ice time for the struggling Washington Capitals, who have been without the services of defenseman Rasmus Sandin since April 7.

If you’re keeping track, that’s 11 of 16 playoff teams boasting players with Maple Leafs connections (to say nothing of the teams featuring players from the Greater Toronto Area). Whether it’s the Leafs or another team, there’s a pretty good chance that someone who once donned blue and white will hoist the Stanley Cup this year.