Present #4: Toronto Maple Leafs Win Canadian Division and Give us Rivalries Like the Old Days
With a now confirmed “Northern Division” in the NHL this season where all Canadian teams will compete there is a plethora of opportunity for the Leafs. They are not only the favourite to win the division but also for the first time in years, with at least 9 games against each Canadian team, the Leafs can finally rebuild the rivalries with their fellow Canadian comrades.
The Leafs among Canadian teams is without a doubt the favourite to win the Northern Division. Yeah, you can argue how the Flames with the additions of Markstrom and Tanev and the Canadiens with Toffoli and Anderson both will be even better than they were last season, and yeah you can always make an argument for Connor Mcdavid and the Oilers, but, I think it’s pretty hard to argue that there is any other team that has prepared for this season better than the Leafs.
The Leafs picked up depth at all positions in anticipation of the time-crunched season in addition a taxi squad. I’m not always a fan of some of the Dubas decisions, but for the majority of the moves this offseason, I’d have to give Dubas an A for his work especially given the hand he was dealt with the flat cap.
Now personally, as a 19-Year-Old Leafs Fan, besides the Bruins and then a very brief couple of hairy games against the Canucks a number of years ago, I have yet to see any true rivalries that really get me excited to see games.
Sure there’s the “Battle of Ontario” and “Battle of Niagra”, but really there hasn’t been any real fire to these games in my memory and I’m sure I’m not the only young Leaf fan that thinks so. I would love to see even just one of these 9 game season series result in a couple of truly barbaric games.
Imagine the Leafs and Canadiens in an absolute deranged playoff series. The two most storied franchises of the NHL going at it in the playoffs after 9 games against each other in the regular season. That would be a spectacle. Hell, forget the Leafs, imagine a battle of Alberta playoff series. The possibilities are endless!