The All-Canadian Division is stacked with talent, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have the best team in the division.
On paper, the Toronto Maple Leafs should run away with the All-Canadian Division and be well on their way to their first playoff round win since 2004. However, on paper doesn’t mean anything.
In every sport, there’s a favorite and a team that’s supposed to win. No matter the point-spread or odds in Vegas, any team can win any game. Just look at what happened in the New York Jets vs. Los Angeles Rams game the other day.
The Jets were 0-13 facing a 9-4 Rams team and were a 17.5 point underdog on the road. New York could lose by two touchdowns and a field goal (!) in a professional football game and could still cover the spread. That’s insane.
However, you know what happened? The Jets won. They tore the soul out of every fan by winning because now they have a lesser chance at the number-one pick. So even though the Leafs are the clear favorite, don’t start planning the Stanley Cup parade yet. We’ve seen this team lose year-after-year, so although it should be a good ride, you have to be a skeptic.
The reason the Toronto Maple Leafs are the clear favorite in the first place is based off talent. They have the best top-six of any team, their defense got much stronger and they have a true number-one goalie in Freddie Andersen. You can make an argument that Andersen has been a reason for their demise over the past few seasons, but when he’s playing his best, he’s a top goaltender in the NHL.
He finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting just three seasons ago, so he has the ability to be one of the best in the league, and will definitely be one of the best in the division.
So how does all this talent stack up against the rest of the NHL? Here are the top-five best players in the All-Canadian Division.