The Maple Leafs were the NHL's most surprising team in 2017 as they made the playoffs pushing the Capitals to six games instead of finishing in the league's basement where they were expected to land. The young talent at forward makes them a scary offensive team but the defence still needs some work to make them a true contender. If last year's rookies continue to grow and the goaltending is good, the Leafs will be back in the playoffs.
Arrivals/Departures
Arrivals: Patrick Marleau, Dominic Moore, Ron Hainsey, Chris Mueller
Departures: Brian Boyle, Matt Hunwick, Roman Polak, Antoine Bibeau, Seth Griffith
Forwards:
Auston Matthews had one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory and he has already established himself as one of the best players in the NHL. His rookie season started out with a bang as he scored four goals in his debut before finishing his season with 40 points, 69 points and a shocking playoff birth. Perhaps the most surprising move of the off season was Patrick Marleau leaving San Jose after 19 seasons in a Sharks uniform to come and mentor the young guns in Toronto. Marleau still has the speed to keep up with every player in the league so he will fit well on the first line with Matthews. William Nylander is the other top liner after exploding during his rookie season for 61 points. Another one of last year's rookies was Mitch Marner who also put up 61 points with his unique skill set. James Van Riemsdyk had another very good season on the top six with the Leafs as he netted 29 goals and despite the trade rumours, he should still play big minutes for them. Nazem Kadri rebounded in 2017 after back-to-back down seasons to reclaim the second-line center spot and insure he will be a part of the Leafs' future. Tyler Bozak is one of the best third-line centers in the league as he contributes a lot offensively and defensively; he finished with 55 points which is a lot for a third liner. Leo Komarov has turned into a great third-line forward since his return from playing a year in Moscow as he helps the Leafs a lot more than you would think. Finishing one of the best third lines in the league is Connor Brown who was hidden in the shadow of his fellow rookies last season despite scoring 20 goals. Dominic Moore was brought in to provide veteran leadership from the fourth-line center role he has become accustomed to during his 13-year career spread over 10 teams. Hard-hitting Matt Martin is the other veteran presence on the fourth line as his physical play style should land him a spot in the top four even with all the young guys trying to take his spot. The final forward spot will likely go to Kasperi Kapanen or Zach Hyman, Hyman played in 82 games while Kapanen only played in eight. Kapanen performed well during the Leafs' playoff run vs the Capitals so that is why I think he will replace Hyman as the fourth-line right winger. Josh Leivo, Eric Fehr, Ben Smith, Frederik Gauthier and Nikita Soshnikov could all compete for a spot on the roster too.
Defencemen:
The defence is the Maple Leafs' downfall as they don't have a superstar or depth on defence making them very vulnerable at the position. Morgan Rielly is the team's best defenceman despite the fact he does not produce offence or shut down players like a number-one defenceman should. Rielly is only 23 years old though and has four NHL seasons under his belt so he could eventually turn into a star. Jake Gardiner is not a top-pair defenceman either but he upped his offensive production to 43 points which is good but his defence is not where it needs to be. Nikita Zaitsev may have been 25 years old but he was still a rookie last year coming over from the KHL, and he played very well in his first season producing offence and defence. The bottom pair is a huge weakness as both Connor Carrick and Martin Marincin are unproven and would be better suited as depth defenders or on the top pair in the AHL. Don't be surprised of the Maple Leafs' first-round pick Timothy Liljegren cracks the roster this season as he only fell down from the number-two ranked prospect because he suffered from mono for the first half of the season.
Goaltending:
Frederick Andersen played well in his first season with the Leafs and he was a huge reason for their surprise run to the playoffs. If Andersen can repeat his season, the Leafs are good in net, but if he struggles like he has in the past, the position could turn into a need for the Leafs. Curtis McElhinney and Garret Sparks will compete for the backup job.
Projected Lineup:
Patrick Marleau
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Auston Matthews
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William Nylander
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James Van Riemsdyk
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Nazem Kadri
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Mitch Marner
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Connor Brown
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Tyler Bozak
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Leo Komarov
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Matt Martin
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Dominic Moore
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Kasperi Kapanen
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Josh Leivo
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Eric Fehr
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Zach Hyman
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Jake Gardiner
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Morgan Rielly
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Ron Hainsey
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Nikita Zaitsev
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Martin Marincin
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Connor Carrick
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Timothy Liljegren
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Travis Dermott
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Frederik Andersen
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Curtis McElhinney
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Garret Sparks
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Top 10 Players:
10. Jake Gardiner
9. Nikita Zaitsev
8. Morgan Rielly
7. Frederik Andersen
6. Nazem Kadri
5. James Van Riemsdyk
4. Patrick Marleau
3. Mitch Marner
2. William Nylander
1. Auston Matthews
Projected Finish: 98 Points (3rd in Atlantic)
Last Year: 95 Points (4th in Atlantic)
Photo credit for Patrick Marleau goes to http://www.sportsnet.ca/. Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly goes to https://www.thestar.com/. William Nylander goes to http://www.cbc.ca/.
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