5 Biggest Surprises for the Toronto Maple Leafs as 2014-15 Season Begins

With the 2014-15 NHL regular season set to begin on Wednesday evening, the Toronto Maple Leafs will enter play with a revamped roster.

The Leafs needed to make changes in several areas, as goaltending was the only real bright spot in 2013-14.

The fans will want to see a strong playoff push from this squad. Getting on that path later this week will be a good place to start.

Let's take a look at the biggest surprises for the Leafs as the 2014-15 season begins.

William Nylander Was Almost NHL-Ready

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

While it would have made a great story if young William Nylander would have made the team out of training camp, it would not have been a good sign for the club.

Nylander is still growing, and while he is NHL-ready in terms of his speed and his vision, he has to get stronger. He must also continue to develop his two-way game.

Nylander will return to Sweden and play for Modo, per The Canadian Press (via CBC Sports).

He is likely to play in Toronto regardless this season when he returns to play for Sweden at the World Junior Championships. If his game grows significantly, he may be a Leaf following that tournament.

Korbinian Holzer Is Not on the Leafs Roster

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Korbinian Holzer wasn't outstanding this training camp, but he was effective when he did play in the preseason. 

The big D-man came into this camp with solid years in the AHL under his belt, but he has been placed on waivers for the purposes of being sent down to the Toronto Marlies, as per James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail.

Holzer would have been on the third pairing and would not have been looked to for more than steady minutes with the ability to move the puck with authority out of the defensive zone.

It will not be surprising if the German defender returns to the big club, particularly if the team experiences further injuries to its defense corps.

Stuart Percy Is a Toronto Maple Leaf

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Stuart Percy is going to begin the year with the Leafs, per The Globe and Mail article from the previous slide. He may even play regularly with Cody Franson out of the lineup for the time being.

Percy doesn't do anything extremely well at this stage of his career; therefore, he needs to play low-event hockey. He doesn't have to contribute on the scoreboard except for preventing opponents' goals and shots from being posted there.

He's likely to play against opposing third and fourth lines, so this easing-in process should help him make the transition from the AHL.

The Oakville, Ontario, native had 25 points with the Marlies last season, so he may chip in with the odd point if the opportunity presents itself. At just 21 years old, management, coaches and fans need to be patient with this young defender.

Josh Leivo and Carter Ashton Are NHLers

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Josh Leivo and Carter Ashton will have an opportunity to make an impact in the NHL as the season begins. Both players should be on the Leafs' opening-day roster, per the Canadian Press (via CBC Sports).

This should be very motivating for players within the Leafs' entire organization. All successful organizations develop a sizeable number of NHL players from within. This is something the Leafs must improve as they try to reach the same tier as teams like the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Marlies have had some good teams in recent years. Transferring some of that success to the NHL is a must, and soon.

Brandon Kozun Is Leafs' Second-Line Winger

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California native Brandon Kozun continues to beat the odds. At just 5'8" and well under 200 pounds, it will be speed and skill, not brawn and fighting ability, that Kozun will bring to the Leafs.

If Kozun plays with Joffrey Lupul and Nazem Kadri—as he did this past weekend, per Stephen Whyno of the Canadian Press (via CTVNews.ca)—this line could cause fits for opponents.

Kozun and Kadri both have excellent speed, and if Lupul can get the puck in good scoring spots, this could be a high-powered second line.

Kozun will be an instant fan favourite who should bring an exciting brand of hockey to the Ontario capital.  

All stats can be found on HockeyDB.com.