8 Ways the Toronto Maple Leafs Are Better This Season
The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off the 2019-20 season yesterday with an informal skate.
The big news out of that skate was that Cody Ceci was paired with Morgan Rielly, but don’t despair: if the Leafs were going to trade Ceci and sign Gardiner (#bringbackthelegend) this is the exact thing they’d do.
Regardless, Ceci could surprise us, and if he doesn’t, well Travis Dermott is on his back as soon as November.
Will Ceci help improve the Leafs? Well, unless he changes his name to “Hainsey” that’s all but a guarantee.
How else will the Toronto Maple Leafs be better this year?
Getting Better
The Leafs finished seventh overall and hit 100 points last year despite only being one game over in one-goal games (just luck) and never dressing their optimal lineup for a single game (the one time they almost did, Kadri got hurt at the end of the first).
So here is how they can improve this year, even if they don’t bring back my boy Jake:
1. Matthews is healthy all season
That’s obviously going to help, as Matthews is a near lock for 50 goals if he is healthy, and a decent bet at 60 if he gets some shooting percentage help.
2. They play at least a few games with their optimal lineup
It’s not gonna happen until at least November when Dermott gets back, but if this team is relatively healthy they are going to dominate.
3. Their record in one goal games improves
Can’t really do anything to help this happen, but if they get a bit lucky here they can boost their end of year totals by a lot.
4. They get quality backup goaltending
People forget that other than a couple shaky games near the end that Garret Sparks was putting up decent numbers through most of the year. This is worth a couple wins at best, probably not even that.
Connor McDavid isn’t even worth five wins, so people definitely make too much out of the back up goalie situation. Still, every point counts and if someone does a good job, so much the better.
5. Their PP scores closer to it’s expected goal totals
The PP dominated last year, it just didn’t score like it was supposed to. Most of that is just because they got unlucky and shot 12%. Tampa got lucky and shot 23% and you can’t tell me their coach is smarter or they have better players. Luck plays a big role, as you should know if you’re currently reading about hockey and not out hunting and gathering your own dinner.
6. The roster is slightly deeper
This of course will help. The success or failure of the team depends on their elite players, but they’ll win a few extra games because their fourth line will beat most team’s third.
7. The best players are closer to their primes
Until they are about 24, players get better every years. If you look at when Gretzky, Lemieux and Lindros had their career seasons, you should be even more pumped for Matthews and Marner this year.
Next. 5 Best Trades in Leafs History. dark
8. Hainsey and Marleau gone
Addition by subtraction. Popular vets who got to play far beyond their best before date due to being popular vets. Unfortunately, Marleau put up 4th line numbers and Hainsey was the worst top pairing defenseman in the NHL. Babcock played both of them way too much and now that he can’t, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be better.