Then again, why wonder in the digital age, when you can dive into the numbers and uncover the salaries of the Toronto Maple Leafs players for this season?
Luckily for you, we've already done the hard part.
Overall, the team's total salary cap (how much in total they're spending on their players) is expected to hit $96,756,450 this season, which is a whopping $13,256,450 over where they technically should be. However, it's allowed, because two of the players Toronto is still paying are on long-term injured reserve, so they won't actually be playing.
But let's look at who will be hitting the ice and making some of the biggest bucks this coming NHL season.
Auston Matthews
Salary: $11,640,250
Details: Auston Matthews, who hails from Scottsdale, Arizona, is the Leafs' highest-paid player and this season marks his ascension to becoming the highest-paid player in the NHL period.
He was the No. 1 pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 NHL Draft. By just 23, he'd already scored a whopping 158 goals. He's the first U.S.-born player to be chosen first since Patrick Kane back in 2007.
Early on, he was breaking records with the USA Hockey team and even made waves in Switzerland's top league. And get this - on his NHL debut, he scored four goals. He snagged the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in 2016-17.
Even with a few injuries, he's been on fire, winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP in 2021-22. Oh, and he set a record with the Maple Leafs by scoring 55 goals in 2022.
The guy's a machine; he's the first in Toronto's history to net 40 goals for four straight seasons. He also happens to be good friends with Justin Bieber.
John Tavares
Salary: $11,000,000
Details: In 2018, John Tavares said goodbye to New York, signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a cool $77 million over seven years. It was a homecoming for him since he grew up cheering for them in Mississauga. Before that, he was lighting it up with the Islanders for nine seasons, right from when they picked him first in the 2009 NHL Draft.
He scored 47 goals in his first season playing for Toronto and got the captain's badge in 2019. He hit 400 NHL goals in 2022 and celebrated his 1,000th game with a bang in 2023. But his talent was evident way before the NHL.
At just 14, he was turning heads in the Ontario Hockey League, even breaking one of Gretzky's records by scoring 72 OHL goals in a single season.
Mitch Marner
Salary: $10,903,000
Detail: Drafted 4th by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015, Mitch Marner has been turning heads ever since.
In his rookie year with the Leafs, he racked up 61 points, and by 2018-19, he was on fire with 94 points in a season. Despite a hiccup with an injury in 2019, he still made it to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.
And 2021-22? He was a force with 97 points, helping the Leafs smash some records. Before the NHL, he was making waves in London, even breaking some of Gretzky's records! Internationally, he's represented Canada and shone brightly.
And get this, in 2022, he set a Leafs record with a 23-game point streak. Recently, he hit the 500-point mark faster than almost anyone in Leafs history. The guy's not just about offence; he's been nominated for the Selke Award, recognizing his defensive prowess.
Marner got married to his longtime partner Stephanie LaChance in a two-day celebration at Peller Estates in Niagara-on-the-Lake this summer. Plenty of his teammates were in attendance.
William Nylander
Salary: $6,962,366
Details: Born in Calgary in '96 while his dad, Michael Nylander, was playing for the Flames, William got a firsthand look at the NHL life. Growing up, he hopped from city to city, following his dad's career. But the real twist? At 14, he moved to Sweden and honed his skills there. And get this, he even played alongside his dad for a game with Sodertalje in 2013 – talk about a memorable father-son moment.
The Toronto Maple Leafs saw his potential and drafted him 8th in 2014. After a stint in the AHL, where he showcased some serious talent, he made his mark with the Leafs. He scored a career-high 31 goals in the 2019-20 season.
Tyler Bertuzzi
Salary: $5,500,000
Details: Tyler Bertuzzi has made waves just like his uncle Todd did back in the day. Tyler started off in the OHL with Guelph, and by the 2013-14 season, he was a key player in their championship run.
Fast forward a bit, and he made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings in 2016. And talk about making an impact: he was a force in the AHL, even snagging the MVP title during the Grand Rapids Griffins' Calder Cup win. By 2017, he was back with the Red Wings, netting his first NHL goal and point. He kept that momentum, even getting a nod for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.
After a couple of contract moves, including a stint with the Bruins, he's now laced up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Max Domi
Salary: $3,000,000
Details: Born in Winnipeg when his dad, Tie Domi, played for the original Jets, Max soon found himself growing up in Toronto after his dad got traded to the Maple Leafs just a month after he was born in 1995. So, naturally, Domi's childhood favourite? The Maple Leafs, thanks to all those seasons his dad played there.
Drafted 12th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2013, Domi has been quite the traveller. Before hitting the NHL, he was a big deal with the OHL's London Knights, even captaining them in the 2014-15 season. When he started with the Coyotes in 2015, he made quite the entrance, ranking third among rookie scorers.
Since then, he's worn a few jerseys, from Montreal to Columbus, and even had a brief stint with the Hurricanes in 2022. He inked a deal with the Blackhawks in July 2022, but by March 2023, he was traded to the Dallas Stars.
And guess what? He's now with the Toronto Maple Leafs after signing with them in July 2023. So, it's been quite the ride for Domi.
Morgan Rielly
Salary: $7,500,000
Details: This Vancouver-born defenseman was snatched up by the Toronto Maple Leafs as the 5th pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. Despite a knee setback in his early days, he's been nothing short of impressive. From representing Canada in the World Juniors to a breakout 72-point season in the NHL, Rielly's been on fire.
And get this, in 2021, the Leafs locked him down with an eight-year, $60 million contract. Oh, and he played a huge role in the Leafs' 2023 playoff run, helping them clinch their first series win since 2004. Quite the journey for Rielly, right?
Ilya Samsonov
Salary: $3,550,000
Details: This Russian goalie was a top pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2015 NHL Draft. After showing his skills in the KHL, he hopped over to the AHL and then made a splash in his NHL debut in 2019, winning against the Islanders. And guess what? He had a stellar rookie season, boasting a 16-6-0 record. Fast forward a bit, and in 2022, the Toronto Maple Leafs snagged him with a $1.8 million contract.
So, now that we've established how wealthy even non-star players make on the Toronto Maple Leafs, maybe we can figure out how to take a cut so the rest of us can afford tickets.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
A photo shared by Nazem Kadri from Mitch Marner's wedding.