Toronto Maple Leafs’ report cards at the 31-game mark of 2018-19

A-/B+. I think it’s safe to say that Hyman has gradually become the Maple Leafs’ most consistent player. Always the first man to reach the puck, often a valuable support mechanism to the likes of Tavares and Marner, but nevertheless snake-bitten in front of the net on a seemingly recurring basis, the left winger offers grit and a fairly strong two-way presence to a lineup that is underlined by some of hockey’s finest top-end talent. Expect the 26-year-old to continue to thrive in his supporting role as the season progresses.. LW. TOR. ZACH HYMAN

B+. Heading into 2018-19, fans of the Maple Leafs ruminated over the extent — or lack thereof — to which Kadri would be deployed in Babcock’s lineup. The acquisition of Tavares, coupled with the presence of Matthews, all but ensured that Kadri would become the Buds’ third-line center, forming the final piece of what has widely been dubbed Toronto’s “three-headed monster” down the middle. With 8 goals and 17 points in 31 games — tallies marked in part by relative warming and cooling periods on offense — the 28-year-old remains a consistent threat at both ends of the ice, and in turn continues to act as one of the team’s deadliest weapons.. C. TOR. NAZEM KADRI

D. TOR. JAKE GARDINER. B+. High-risk, high-reward has come to define No. 51, who continues to serve as the Maple Leafs’ second-most important defender. In spite of his ongoing capacity to make questionable decisions in his own end, Gardiner offers a unique skillset to one of hockey’s most clinical franchises, as he aims to iron out some of the shortcomings of his defensive game while maintaining strong offensive output. Gardiner’s defense has actually looked fairly promising thus far, and 18 points in 31 games is invaluable to a club of this nature — as such, the 28-year-old continues to lie at the forefront of Babcock’s supporting cast.

Much is written about the notion of spirit in relation to the translation of dreams of off-ice aspirations into a reality. And although the concept is — at times — overblown, it’s tough to avoid discussions of this variety when considering a player like Dermott. His potential is sky-high and his play in the Maple Leafs’ end is improving with each passing day, but an underlying capacity to make questionable decisions continues to envelop the 21-year-old’s game. “Good Travis, Bad Travis” is still a thing, but Dermott will almost surely continue to emerge as one of the pilots of the Buds’ blue line as his career progresses.. D. TOR. TRAVIS DERMOTT. B

G. TOR. GARRET SPARKS. B. The organization’s decision to select Sparks over the likes of Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney at the start of the 2018-19 season certainly ruffled some feathers, but the 25-year-old has been decent in his limited showings thus far. Sparks’ high-risk, high-reward style of netminding continues to lend itself to questionable performances and mediocre numbers (currently, he has 1 shutout, a .913 SV% and a 2.84 GAA), but his 4-1-1 record acts as an overriding saving grace — and a fairly admirable one at that.