The Potential Greatness of the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a potentially great team.

My experience writing about the Toronto Maple Leafs (and other NHL teams) has led me to one indisputable conclusion: no matter what your potential may be, the vast majority of people think you are whatever you are in the present moment.

William Nylander in a slump? Sucks, trade him.  Underlying numbers suggestive that he’ll come around? Sucks, trade him.

Leafs 15 points behind Tampa? Tampa is superior.  Underlying factors suggestive the Leafs are at least even? Shut-up don’t talk to me.

The Islanders are vastly overrated ?  Goalies propping them up? Shut-up Tanner, Trotz is a genius.  It’s provable!  I said shut up.

You get my point.

Toronto Maple Leafs

So while the Toronto Maple Leafs may in fact be third place in the current standings, and while the Lightning seem like a much better team, after spending a crazy amount of time and energy following this team, my assessment is that they’ve not even come close to hitting their full potential.

They haven’t dressed Muzzin, Johnsson and Ennis in a game yet, so they technically haven’t even iced their best possible lineup.

Their power-play has been so bad (in terms of results only), and they’ve lost a ton of points because of it.

They are still likely to add at the deadline.  Their coach hasn’t figured out their proper lineup yet.  And on and on.

Bottom line is this: I don’t think the Leafs have hit their full potential, and I think that if things start to really go for them, that they can be the best team in the NHL by a wide margin.

I think the Leafs can beat any team in the NHL in a seven game series, and I don’t think they should be afraid of anyone – I think teams should be afraid of them.

We’re sort of used to it by now, seeing it every game, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Nazem Kadri lined up down the middle. That is one thing in a regular season game, but when it comes time to match-up against the Leafs in a playoff game, it’s going to be impossible.

Also, their recent defensive pairings will keep one of Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzin or Jake Gardiner on the ice at all times.  That’s a pretty scare proposition for any team to take on.

Or what about the fact that they have the fastest winger in the NHL, and he’s only the fourth-best winger on the team?

With the ability to add more players in the coming week, the Toronto Maple Leafs could very well end up with the best roster of the salary cap era by next Monday evening.