Top 3 Toronto Maple Leafs Storylines of All-Canadian Division
An All-Canadian Division is the best thing that’s happened to the Toronto Maple Leafs since they drafted Auston Matthews.
The storylines for the 2020-21 Toronto Maple Leafs season are endless, but three stand out.
You would think that the idea of playing the same six teams for 56 games would be boring, but not with an All-Canadian Division. Every Canadian opponent has at least one superstar and every match-up is special.
Although there are 24 other teams in the NHL, it feels like all of my attention will be dedicated to the All-Canadian Division. It’s not because I’m Canadian or a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, but it’s because it’s the most newsworthy.
Six of the seven teams in the division have a real chance at winning it. The Ottawa Senators are the only team that doesn’t seem ready to win the division. However, with a plethora of upcoming prospects and good young talent, the Senators could be Canada’s best team in a few years.
Any time two Canadian teams play each other, it’s worth watching. Now, we’ll get to see that every single night for four months. In my opinion, the TV ratings are going to be better than any other year. I mean, if you live in Canada, what else are you going to do? We’re still living in a pandemic and you can’t go anywhere. You may as well crack a few cold ones every night and watch hockey until 1:00AM EST.
With five games of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey in nine months, this All-Canadian Division is going to make my brain explode. Having to talk about hockey without any real hockey for so long has been a struggle, so I cannot wait to watch games again.
Speaking of which, here are the top three Toronto Maple Leafs storylines of an All-Canadian Division.
#3. Rivalries Are Back
Remember how fun the “Battle of Ontario” used to be? Thanks to their playoff battles in the early 2000s, every Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators game was a blood-bath. Not literally of course, but the intensity was high.
Even if it was something as simple as Daniel Alfredsson mocking Mats Sundin by pretending to throw his stick in the crowd, it felt like every time these two teams played, a storyline brewed. The anticipation for every match-up was so exciting because you never knew what type of chaos would ensue.
Although the rivalry has been less intense for the past few years, that’s all going to change. The Leafs are going to hate every other Canadian team by the end of the regular season, and that animosity is going to get even stronger in the playoffs.
If the NHL follows their current playoff format, there will be at least one All-Canadian match-up in the First Round of the playoffs. We’ve seen Edmonton vs. Calgary in the playoffs recently, but we haven’t seen Toronto face a Canadian opponent since 2004.
The idea of the Leafs playing any Canadian team in the First Round of the playoffs is so intriguing. However, selfishly, I hope they can play Montreal or Ottawa because that rivalry would officially be back. Regular season hockey is one thing, but a playoff match-up would make for a different story.
#2. Will the Leafs Even Make the Playoffs?
Personally, I think the Toronto Maple Leafs are the best team in this division, but there is a ton of talent elsewhere.
Like I mentioned before, besides the Ottawa Senators, the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs all have a chance to win the division. Would it really be that shocking if the Leafs finished with the fourth or fifth best record?
A minimum of two of those six franchises is going to be incredibly disappointed at the end of the regular season. All of those teams think they’re in their Stanley Cup window, but not all of them are going to make the playoffs. The Leafs could be one of those two teams where that happens.
The core is still intact with the Leafs, but the rest of the team is different. They have a brand new bottom-six and a number of new defensemen that should help the team, but we don’t know how they’ll blend. It’s quite possible that T.J. Brodie underperforms as that top-four defenseman and Joe Thornton and Wayne Simmonds are busts. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but you never know.
The Leafs technically missed the playoffs last season, so why should we lock them in already? I think they’re going to make it and compete for a Stanley Cup, but it’s quite possible to think the opposite. The All-Canadian Division is very strong that anything can happen, so this will be an important storyline to follow all year.
#1. Matthews vs. McDavid
The fact that we get to watch Connor McDavid vs. Auston Matthews potentially nine times this season is amazing.
The two were seen training together in Arizona and hopefully Matthews picked up a few tricks from McDavid, because he’s coming for his Hart Trophy this year!
https://twitter.com/hockeynight/status/1335605812950134784?s=20
In my opinion, McDavid and Matthews are two of the top-five most exciting players to watch in the NHL. If there was a world where you could combine both players into one, they would make the greatest hockey player of all-time.
Matthews’ shot is the reason why he’s the best pure-goal scorer in the NHL, while McDavid’s speed and vision helps him rack up point after point.
I think that this could be the most special 56-games of Auston Matthews’ career. The 23-year-old still hasn’t reached his prime, but he’s entering an important stage of his career. After training with McDavid and seeing his work ethic, that’ll intensify his game even more. Also, by having to play against him nine times this season, he’ll have to bring his A-game every night.
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SportsCentre is going to get bored by the amount of highlights these two players are going to produce this year. Every time they step onto the ice, a goal is expected and this rivalry could turn into the race for the Hart Trophy this year.