Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction Roundtable

Lauren Kelly:

Stanley Cup Champions: Tampa Bay Lightning over Edmonton Oiler.  Injuries were the only reason the Lightning didn’t run away with the Atlantic division last season, and even with the majority of their top players out of the lineup for most of the season, they still almost pushed their way into the last wildcard spot. With a healthy core and a bolstered blueline, they look poised to win the Atlantic and make a deep playoff run.

The one team in the East they’ll need to defeat will be the Penguins, and it’ll probably be the Oilers winning the West. If the Lightning can defeat the Penguins, I believe their blueline is strong enough to fend off Connor McDavid and company, and their playoff experience will win out in the end.

Hart Trophy: Connor McDavid (runner-up: Sidney Crosby & Auston Matthews) If the Oilers first game of the season was any indication, McDavid is going to have a record breaking season. If he has to will the Oilers to win the Cup, he will, and he looks like he’ll be able to do that. He looks even faster than he did last season (if that’s even possible), and he’s going to shatter his previous offensive totals as well as opposing teams’ bluelines.

Norris Trophy: Victor Hedman (runner-up: Erik Karlsson & Brent Burns) Hedman had career highs in goals (16) and points (72) last season, despite the Bolts being decimated with injuries and not playing with consistent linemates every night. He’s an excellent possession player and although he doesn’t play as flashy a style as Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns (likely the other top candidates for the trophy), if he can help the Bolts return back to the playoffs, this will likely be his year to win the trophy.

Vezina Trophy: Matt Murray (runners-up: Carey Price & Cam Talbot) If the Penguins are going to “three-peat” as Cup champions, Murray is going to be the one to get them there. There aren’t many weaknesses in this year’s Penguins team and most of the team has returned from last season. All Murray has to do is to take the Penguins back to the top of the Metropolitan division, and the trophy will likely be his.

Calder Trophy: Nico Hischier (runners-up: Clayton Keller & Tyson Jost) Hischier looked fantastic in the preseason. He really did. If he performs the way he did in the preseason during the regular season, I’m pretty sure he’ll be the one walking away with the trophy in June. There isn’t a clear-cut favourite rookie this season like there was last year (Matthews and Laine), but solely based on preseason, Hischier looked like the best rookie and that will likely translate throughout the regular season.