It’s been a while since the Toronto Maple Leafs have lost a player of the stature and star power of Mitch Marner. Fans may miss his high-energy game and playmaking contributions, but those who own his No. 16 jersey are now left in limbo as they (visually, at least) continue to support a player that isn’t around anymore. This is made all the more awkward given the fact that Marner wasn’t exactly viewed in the most glowing light as he departed the organization.
So what is a fan to do now? Fork out $200 on a new jersey? Focus on the front of the jersey rather than the back? Maybe they can even go the masking tape route that we’ve seen before and DIY a new name and number onto the back (Marner’s 16 could easily be turned into Steven Lorentz’s 18, for example).
For those who have sported their Marner jersey for most or all of his nine seasons spent in the Maple Leafs organization, perhaps it’s time for a new sweater. The question, then, comes down to whose name and number should adorn the back. Fans will have their own personal favourite players, but other factors like future stability in Toronto and long-term viability as a key part of the club should be considered as well.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the best player jersey options for fans looking to move on from Marner or just support someone new.
Matthew Knies
As one star player departs Toronto, another continues to emerge among the cream of the crop within the organization. At just 22 years of age (he turns 23 in October), Matthew Knies announced himself as one of the Maple Leafs’ top forwards with a 29-goal, 58-point breakthrough campaign in 2024-25. The expectations for the 2025-26 season will be even higher with the belief that he is now cemented as a top-line winger next to Auston Matthews.
Matthew Knies’ No. 23 could soon become a common sight around Scotiabank Arena.
(Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
While maintaining the same rate of growth as an NHL player is no sure thing for Knies, he already seems like a safe bet to be an impact player for years to come. This summer saw the Phoenix, Arizona native sign a six-year, $46.5 million deal that will keep him under contract through to 2031. If he continues to perform at or above the level we’ve seen thus far, it’s hard to envision him going anywhere else before then.
On top of his on-ice exploits, Knies has become a focus of increased off-ice attention for his ‘hockey power couple’ pairing alongside girlfriend Ella Huber, a fellow University of Minnesota product and rookie forward with the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s (PWHL) Boston Fleet. There were increased sightings of No. 23 jerseys in and around Scotiabank Arena last season, and that trend stands to only grow larger this season.
Auston Matthews & William Nylander
I certainly don’t need to explain why Matthews and William Nylander would qualify as valid choices to adorn the backs of fans’ jerseys. After all, Matthews’ No. 34 was the third-best-selling jersey league-wide last season, while Nylander covered the expenses of fans who switched from his old No. 29 to his current No. 88 back in 2019.
As you might expect, two of the Maple Leafs’ biggest stars serve as major jersey-sellers in and outside of the team’s market. Those jersey sales figure to increase somewhat due to the Marner void, but the club’s other long-standing homegrown star forwards may not reap the benefits as much as you might think. After all, fans who chose to support Marner when they bought their jersey had the opportunity to get Matthews or Nylander on the back and decided against it.
Two members of what was previously known as the franchise’s “Core Four”, Matthews and Nylander hold pretty secure standing within the organization (Matthews is signed through 2028, Nylander through 2032). However, they may simply be too familiar to Maple Leafs fans to make for exciting jersey options. It’s not like you are going to stand out with “Matthews 34” on your back.
John Tavares
In many ways, John Tavares could be grouped into the same category as his previous Core Four contemporaries. He certainly boasts a sufficiently starry career resume to entice jersey purchases. But if you are that big of a Tavares fan, wouldn’t you have his jersey from one of the seven seasons he already spent here?
Tavares, however, merits his own mention for one key reason: he has earned some newfound appreciation in Toronto by showing his commitment to the organization through the team-friendly four-year, $17.5 million contract he signed this offseason. The 34-year-old could have made much more money on the open market coming off of a 38-goal campaign, but he opted to commit to potentially finishing his career with his hometown club while affording them the salary cap wiggle room to retain Knies and make additional roster moves. That will engender plenty of goodwill amongst Leafs Nation and maybe even some jersey sales.
On the other hand, those considering showing their gratitude through the purchase of a No. 91 jersey would also need to think about the age factor. Tavares will have just turned 35 once the new season kicks off. While he demonstrated last season that he isn’t in the twilight of his career just yet, any jersey buyer will surely be aware of his potential for age-related decline in the coming years.
Chris Tanev
Although they play different positions, Tavares and Chris Tanev carry their fair share of similar characteristics as Maple Leafs. They both earn fans as star players who chose to sign with their hometown club in free agency. However, if there’s any hesitation to invest in a Tavares jersey given his age, then doing so for Tanev, who is exactly nine months older, won’t be any more appealing.
Will there be more Chris Tanev jerseys in the crowd at Maple Leafs games this season? (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)
There are reasons to consider a Tanev jersey, mind you. With five years remaining on his contract, it’s unlikely that the 35-year-old blue liner is going anywhere in the near future. Furthermore, he would at least represent something of a unique, standout choice. Despite his status as a marquee free agent signing and impact defender last season, you would have been hard-pressed to find many No. 8 jerseys in and around town. Wearing his jersey promises to make you stand out more than a Matthews, Nylander, or Tavares jersey would.
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Anthony Stolarz & Joseph Woll
Let’s hear it for the goaltenders! Indeed, goalie jerseys seem to be a rare sight in Toronto among Maple Leafs fans. Quite frankly, there just haven’t been many good, trustworthy jersey candidates in net. Frederik Andersen was probably the last goalie who inspired significant jersey sales, with Curtis Joseph and an aging Ed Belfour making their mark prior to that (you even see the odd Felix Potvin jersey out there, and he parted ways with the team in early 1999).
Now, with the organization looking stronger between the pipes than at any time in recent memory, there are two candidates worth jersey consideration. Joseph Woll had something of a breakthrough campaign in 2024-25 (27-14-1 record with a .909 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average) even while taking on a larger workload as a tandem starter. His age (27) and growth as part of the franchise are big reasons why he merits jersey consideration.
Even with Woll’s breakthrough, newcomer Anthony Stolarz looked poised at times last season to claim the mantle as the club’s No. 1 option in net. Coming over in free agency after serving as back-up to Sergei Bobrovsky on the defending champion Florida Panthers, Stolarz proved himself as a legitimate starter (21-8-3-4 with a .926 SV% and a 2.14 GAA). Who knows how their second round series against the Panthers would have played out had he not been taken out by a Sam Bennett elbow to the head in Game 1. The big downside to a No. 41 Stolarz jersey is his uncertain status as a pending unrestricted free agent after this season.
Easton Cowan
Of course, there may well be another Maple Leafs jersey choice looming very soon. Easton Cowan could be the talk of training camp as he looks to make the club’s opening night roster. If the 20-year-old does so, he’d have plenty of fans joining the bandwagon who are anxious to see what the team’s top prospect can do at the NHL level.
And why not? There’s always excitement over seeing someone new emerge, particularly someone with the potential ceiling of Cowan. It’s still possible that the 28th overall pick of the 2023 Entry Draft isn’t ready for full-time NHL duty just yet, but any risk associated with buying his jersey is mitigated by the knowledge that he should ultimately make his way to the Maple Leafs sooner or later.
Ultimately, the opportunity to nab a Cowan jersey before everyone has one while switching from one London Knights alumnus to another may be too hard to pass up.
With no disrespect to Marner and the legacy he has now left in Toronto, life goes on for Leafs Nation. And perhaps nowhere is that better physically represented than on the literal backs of Maple Leafs fans. Sure, there will still be No. 16 jerseys in the blue and white out there, but over time they will be lost in a sea of ‘Matthews’, ‘Nylander’, ‘Knies’ and maybe soon even ‘Cowan’.
