The Toronto Maple Leafs are a legitimate Stanley Cup Contender.
In the NHL this year, there are several teams with a good shot to win it all: the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Of course, anyone can win it, but it is obviously the goal of all GMs in the league to give themselves the best shot they can.
So what do the Leafs have to do to elevate themselves from contender to favorite?
For the Leafs, the Time Is Now
The Leafs are likely to be a competitive team for years to come but this year they have the best shot that they’ll ever have. Now, if there was no salary cap, this wouldn’t be true. The Leafs would have a better chance to win once Matthews et.al are battle tested in the playoffs, once Timothy Liljegren and Travis Dermott fully develop etc.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case because not only is there a salary cap, but there will soon be another expansion draft. What this means is that the Leafs will never have a better shot, and the reason for that is quite simple: Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are on the last year of their entry level deal, and subsequently they will go from having a negligible cap-hit this season, to taking up something like a quarter of the cap next season.
With two elite players on entry-level deals the Leafs will be able to exploit the salary cap in a way that will never again be open to them.
Toronto Maple Leafs as Stanley Cup Favorites
So what do the Leafs need to become favorites and not just contenders?
- William Nylander
This is pretty obvious, but given how harsh (and ridiculous) some fans have been with him for holding out, I have to say it. William Nylander will give the Leafs two lines, each of which could be considered among the best in the league. They will be fully able to take advantage of Kadri at 3C. Auston Matthews will be better and they will be the most dangerous offensive team in hockey.
Nylander is not soft. He is not greedy. His holdout won’t affect dressing room chemistry and he certainly will not be traded. He will sign, and he will elevate the Leafs instantly.
2. Upgrade the Top Four
The Toronto Maple Leafs blue line is not as bad as people think. The fact is, Gardiner, Rielly, and Dermott make up possibly the best left-side in the NHL. The right side though? Yikes!
Nikita Zaitsev and Ron Hainsey are two of the worst top-four defenders in the NHL and the Leafs will have to upgrade them prior to the playoffs if they want to have their best shot at winning.
3. A Truly Elite Defensive Winger
The Leafs could really use an upgrade on forward when it comes to defensive abilities. It’s no secret that Marian Hossa once went to five straight Stanley Cup Finals, and it’s no secret that he was the best defensive forward in the game during that time.
Now the Leafs probably can’t get Patrice Bergeron, but if the Wild are not a lock for a playoff spot, they may be able to acquire Nino Niederreitter. This would give the Leafs a dimension they are currently lacking, and Niederreitter could be their Hossa.
That’s it: an upgraded top four, a defensive winger, and the return of their best winger. With the Leafs cap space, the fact they have all their own draft picks, and a bunch of valuable prospects, it should be no trouble at all to acquire these things.
If it can be done, the Toronto Maple Leafs won’t just be among a handful of contenders, they will be the best team in the NHL.