When is T-Town not boasting a good hockey team these days? And yes, T-Town is a nickname I use for the Toronto Maple Leafs, even if it stems from the "other" Toronto that I grew up a few minutes away from and the name's always stuck with me.
Anyway, enough background noise. Let's talk about why the Maple Leafs will give the Detroit Red Wings and most of the Atlantic Division headaches. And when I say Atlantic Division, I'm also talking about the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, because this is a team that will pick up right where they left off in the regular season.
Forwards
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Matthew Knies | Auston Matthews | Matias Maccelli |
Max Domi | John Tavares | William Nylander |
Dakota Joshua | Nicolas Roy | Bobby McMann |
Steven Lorentz | Scott Laughton | Calle Jarnkrok |
Nicholas Robertson | David Kampf |
No Mitch Marner? No problem if you're the Maple Leafs. Matthew Knies will step right up and play a fine game. Auston Matthews will be his usual self, while Matias Maccelli's shown an aptitude for playmaking.
Max Domi's not much of a points producer, but his gritty style's a great complement to what we've seen from John Tavares and William Nylander. Don't expect much to change from that duo as Toronto's top six once again looks like it's among the league's best.
Dakota Joshua was a good pickup and someone who'll land body checks and provide supplementary production. Nicolas Roy was the Maple Leafs prize in the Mitch Marner deal, and he's better than his so-so production indicates. You want a jack-of-all-trades or two on your team, and that's who Roy will be for the Leafs while Bobby McMann brings both physical play and a depth scoring prowess.
Scott Laughton's the name that jumps out at me on the fourth line. Laughton a sledgehammer whose role's perfect for the fourth line. With Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok flanking him, expect gritty play and maybe even some surprise points production.
Once again, I'm on repeat, because the Wings can't afford lapses defensively if they want to keep the Maple Leafs forwards in check. Yeah, they got a better man in the net with John Gibson, but he's still not someone who could take on a group loaded with stars on his own.
Defense/Goaltenders
Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
Jake McCabe | Chris Tanev |
Morgan Rielly | Brandon Carlo |
Simon Benoit | Oliver Ekman-Larsson |
Henry Thrun | |
G: Anthony Stolarz | G. Joseph Woll |
You got experience on this blue line, and it starts with Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev. Both players can put up triple-digit blocks, and McCabe's yet another reason why this Leafs team's so physical.
Morgan Rielly a playmaker who can put up forward-like numbers in some seasons. Oh, and he's another one who can step in front of the puck and keep it from making it to the net. And yep, blocks and body checks make up Brandon Carlo's game, so expect even more of the same there, too.
Speaking of body checks, Simon Benoit's one of the league's most physical players, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson has put up triple-digit hits, himself. So, in short, you got a group of forwards who can score, and a defensive rotation that can match anyone in the league with physical play.
And if the intimidation factor doesn't kick in? Or, if a high-octane offense kicks it into high gear? Hey, the Red Wings have the talent to make it happen, but they'll still need to get past one of the league's better netminding duos in Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll.
That said, the Leafs are gonna do two things to opponents: Score on them, then use their hard-hitting style to wear teams down. And if it don't work, good luck getting by those netminders.