A weekly gauge of the players who are controlling substantial buzz around the league. When a player is included on this list it may not be a good thing -- it means that they are capturing a large amount of the hockey world's attention.

The Maple Leafs captain is scoring all the time again, but is he back to peak Matthews? Also, what's behind Rielly's struggles?

The Maple Leafs went from being down 3-0 after the first to winning 7-3, and captain Auston Matthews revealed how the team stayed mentally strong. Being down 3-0 in the first is never the best way to start off a game,

The Maple Leafs' dependence on their 'Core Four' forwards is even more pronounced this season as their blueliners struggle to put up points. That's not likely to change.

Bobby McMann, Nicholas Robertson, William Nylander, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz, Auston Matthews and David Kampf found the back of the net for Toronto. Joseph Woll made 32 saves.

Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Cooper knows the Toronto Maple Leafs well. He thinks new coach Craig Berube has had a massive influence on the Leafs squad.

Adam Fantilli scored three goals for his first career hat trick, Elvis Merzlikins stopped 28 shots, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1.

Goaltender Dennis Hildeby was exposed against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Leafs’ 5-1 loss at Scotiabank Arena, as his mobility in the crease was an issue as Toronto’s three-game winning streak came to an end.

Toronto's power play has been an issue for months now. Tweaks have been made, but Craig Berube and company have room to improve.

The Leafs looked like the better team for most of the game, but couldn't solve Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins.

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 15 voters this week put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

THROUGH GAMES OF THURSDAY, JAN. 23, 2025