The more I study the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, the more I fall in love with it.
Dear haters, the Toronto Maple Leafs have as good of a chance to win the Stanley Cup than any other team in the NHL. Yes, I’m sober.
This is not another “fluff” piece, gushing over the core-four and everything the organization has done. This is the stone-cold truth about a professional hockey team that is constructed beautifully.
I’ve written numerous things on this website describing how great this team is, even when they’ve failed. And I’ll stand by that, because the talent was always there. Any team led by Auston Matthews would have a chance to compete in the playoffs, but a team that also has Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, Zach Hyman, Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, Jake Muzzin and Freddie Andersen as their supporting cast has a chance at glory.
Everybody needs to stop talking about the salary cap. If I hear the sentence “the core-four is overpaid, therefore the Leafs can’t win a cup,” I’m going to puke. Seriously.
I can get behind the argument that maybe the players are slightly overpaid, but it’s not coming out of your pocket. You’re not the one paying the bills, so who cares if someone else overpaid for something? It’s like getting mad at your friend who overpaid for a 75-inch TV, but you’re going over there every weekend watching sports. If the guy who bought the TV isn’t complaining, then neither should you. Especially since you get to enjoy it.
And the last time I checked, Kyle Dubas isn’t upset about how this roster is constructed. In fact, this is the way the organization thinks will make them the most successful.
Toronto Maple Leafs Are Cup Contenders
If we go back to that core-four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares and leave money out of it, nobody should complain. Last season, Matthews finished second in NHL goals, Nylander finished 15th in goals, Marner finished 10th in assists and Tavares just had his 11th straight 20-plus goal season. Not too shabby!
The problem that everyone alludes to is their defense and goaltending. Despite having his worst statistical season as a Maple Leaf, Freddie Andersen finished fifth in the NHL in wins (27-13-7 record) and was selected to the All-Star team. He was still able to get that many wins even though he had Martin Marincin, Cody Ceci and Rasmus Sandin playing serious minutes for the team last year.
The Achilles-Heel has now been reconstructed for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the team’s defense has been upgraded with the additions of T.J. Brodie, Mikko Lehtonen, Zach Bogosian and a more-experienced Rasmus Sandin.
In fact it was only one year ago that TheScore released an article mentioning that T.J. Brodie and Mark Giordano were the best defensive-duo in the NHL. Brodie’s puck-moving ability will be showcased immediately in Toronto and if he’s paired with Morgan Rielly every night, that could turn into one of the best duo’s in the league now.
With an offense that will finish top-three in Goals For again and a defense that’s been substantially upgraded, all Andersen has to do is steer the ship and make sure nobody goes overboard. If he lives up to his nickname “Steady Freddie” then the Toronto Maple Leafs will be just fine.
I haven’t even talked about the depth additions of Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton, Nick Robertson, Alex Barabanov, Jimmy Vesey or “Soup-er man,” yet and I don’t really need to. All of those additions are insurance and if the team has to rely on any of them in the playoffs, they’re doomed anyways.
The life-and-death of the Toronto Maple Leafs winning a Stanley Cup will ride on the core-four, top-four defense, Freddie Andersen and nothing else. Who knows when the team will start their season but I cannot wait for them to dominate the NHL and turn some heads this season.