5 Biggest Questions Surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs

Could this be the year that the Toronto Maple Leafs finally win the Stanley Cup?

That’s one of many questions surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs this upcoming season, as they get ready to start the year against the Montreal Canadiens on January 13.

This season has a weird vibe and it hasn’t even started yet. Typically, I would have already marked the calendar for a few games that I was planning on attending, but now, every game will be watched from my living room. The beer and nachos are much cheaper in my apartment, but I’d much rather be sitting in the nosebleeds barely able to see the puck for a few games this year.

It’s unsure whether or not we’ll have the opportunity to see a game in person. That’s probably a bigger question mark than any other surrounding the actual team this year. Regardless, it’s just great to have hockey back, with or without fans.

The atmosphere isn’t the same, but we’ve already experienced 10 months of this, so we’re used to it. The cardboard cutouts in the stands or the pumped-in crowd noise are two things that broadcasts have used to make it seem more realistic. Although it helps, it’s not the same as real crowds.

There will be no Eggo Waffles thrown on the ice, or even jerseys for that matter. Instead, every broadcast will be the same, despite the outcome. It’s a weird world we’re living in and although I can’t wait to attend a game in person again, like I mentioned before, I’m happy the NHL is back up and running.

The Leafs are the favorite to win their division, but will it actually happen? That’s why they play the games, so who knows what the future holds? Either way, here are five of the biggest questions surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2020-21 regular season.

#4. Is the Defense Core Good Enough?

Short answer: Maybe?

I know it’s cliché, but it all comes down to health. Three of the top-four defenseman are the exact same as last year, but when Morgan Reilly and Jake Muzzin got injured, the team fell apart defensively. (Though, really, which NHL team is going to succeed without their two top defensemen?) If the team can stay healthier on the blue-line, then this will be the best defensive core we’ve seen in maybe 20 years.

Bogosian and Sandin/Dermott will probably split time on the team’s blue-line, but if Mikko Lehtonen plays every night, the Leafs will be a great position. Lehtonen won the KHL Defenseman of the Year award last season, so there’s a ton of hype about him. However, the fact that he’s playing on the bottom-pair to start the season will be great for him. I know the team doesn’t have much time to work with it, but easing him into the NHL will be a great way for him to develop.

Obviously we don’t know what will happen until they play the games, but on paper this defensive-core is stacked. There shouldn’t be as many defensive breakdowns as there were in year’s past, unless injuries occur.

#3. Will Nick Robertson Play Meaningful Minutes?

Nick Robertson is in a weird spot right now. He’s too good for the CHL but too young for the AHL. The Leafs also have so much forward depth that slotting him into the line-up seems like a tough task as well.

As of right now, Robertson is the 13th forward. Instead of playing on the fourth-line, which may not be the best spot for his style of game, he’ll most likely be stuck on the “Taxi Squad” to start the season. I’ve been torn between what I think would be the best option for Robertson heading into the 2020-21 NHL Season.

Robertson is a goal-scorer and a small-sized creative winger. He’s the type of player that should play with other offensive minds and is better suited in the top-six, instead of the bottom-six. So, would you rather take someone like Joe Thornton, Jimmy Vesey or Ilya Mikheyev out of the top-six for Robertson every night, or would it be best for him to wait his turn?

At this moment, if Robertson comes into the line-up, I think he needs to play in the top-six, so I wouldn’t put him on the fourth-line. Instead, I think the Leafs made the right move to put Alexander Barabanov in the fourth-line left-wing position instead. He’s a 26-year-old player with much more experience and someone who can grind. He’s not a flashy winger, so he’ll be better suited for a dump-and-chase type of game that the fourth-line brings.

For this point in his career, I don’t think the “Taxi Squad” is such a terrible place. Obviously, you want him to play games, but being apart of the team everyday and seeing what pro’s like Matthews and Thornton do every night will only make him better. He’ll be able to learn from them and still practice with the team daily. He’ll definitely play a few NHL games this season, but I don’t think it’ll be more than enough to make an impact on the team.

#2. Are the Leafs a Legitimate Stanley Cup Contender?

I mean the Vegas Oddsmakers seem to think so. Depending on what site you look at, the Leafs are a top-five team to win the Stanley Cup this season, and I’d have to agree.

This will be the easiest path the Leafs have to making the Stanley Cup Finals in a long time. The fact that they don’t have to worry about the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning until the Conference Finals is huge.

Anything can happen, but the Leafs are the best team in their division, which means they should have no worry about making the playoffs. Once the playoffs start, it won’t really matter whether or not they’re the one, two, three or four-seed because there most likely won’t be fans in attendance. Home-ice advantage most likely won’t matter as much, plus they’ll be playing a team that they’d already played at least nine times previously.

Their top-four forwards are better than any other team in their division, their defensive depth has been completely upgraded, Freddie Andersen is a top-10 goaltender in the NHL and Sheldon Keefe has a full year from start-to-finish to lead this team. The Kyle Dubas Era officially begins this season and their window to win is now. This team should at the absolute minimum, win a playoff round, but more likely than not, they should be playing in the Conference Finals.

This is a huge year for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Year Five is typically a break-out season for NHL superstars, so I expect Matthews to contend for most goals and Marner for most points in the league. This is the team’s best chance to win a Stanley Cup since the Mats Sundin team’s in the late 1990s, early 2000s, so they need to make the most of this opportunity.

#1. What Freddie Andersen Will We See This Season?

Freddie Andersen is a great goaltender and the Toronto Maple Leafs can win with him between the pipes. I know that he fell apart during Game 3 of the Qualifying Series against Columbus last season, but for the most part, he was brilliant throughout the entire series.

Andersen has struggled when the team’s needed him most, but he’s also been a victim of the defensive-core in front of him. There are absolutely no excuses now. The defense is upgraded and the team in front of him is better than any other squad before.

Not only that, but this will be a 56-game sprint heading towards the playoffs. The Leafs are going to need Jack Campbell to probably play 15-20 games this year in order to keep Andersen fresh based on the condensed schedule. Having a legitimate back-up goaltender for the first time in a few years will only help Andersen. His regular season numbers should be good, but as long as the team makes the playoffs, those stats won’t matter. The only thing that matters will be if he can help them win the playoffs.

Andersen is also in a contract-year, which help keep him motivated. Whether or not he re-signs in Toronto, he’ll want to have the best season of his career to set him up with the biggest possible contract he can get. If he fails under the pressure again and shows that he can’t win the big game, not only will the Leafs want to move on from him, but another team may not be willing to offer him a long-term deal.

Most players shine in their contract year, so I would expect Andersen to do the same. Mix in the unbelievable offensive talent and upgraded defense and the Leafs should have no problem winning 4-2 every night.