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The Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade for Bobby Ryan

By Stephen Nixon

CALGARY, AB - JANUARY 24: Wayne Simmonds #24 (C) of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates with teammates Mitch Marner #16 and Auston Matthews #34 after scoring against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on January 24, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - JANUARY 24: Wayne Simmonds #24 (C) of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates with teammates Mitch Marner #16 and Auston Matthews #34 after scoring against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on January 24, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
CALGARY, AB – JANUARY 24: Wayne Simmonds #24 (C) of the Toronto Maple Leafs   (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a great start comfortably sitting in a playoff spot after the first week of the season.

However, are the Toronto Maple Leafs good enough to win a Stanley Cup this season? I think so, but you can always improve. The best teams at the start of the regular season typically look different when the playoffs start, so the Leafs roster we see today is most likely going to look different in May.

Prior to the start of the regular season, many thought that depth was a strong point for this team. Then, in a matter of days, Nick Robertson, Joe Thornton and Auston Matthews all missed time. Robertson and Thornton’s injuries were much more significant than the one game that Matthews missed, but this roster looked frightening with all three out.

Even though Toronto was able to defeat the Edmonton Oilers with all three of these players missing, it didn’t feel sustainable. The Tampa Bay Lightning were able to win a Stanley Cup without Steven Stamkos, but I don’t think the same could be said with Toronto and Matthews.

In my opinion, this is a Stanley Cup or bust type of season. The NHL has changed their rules to make it significantly more easy for the Toronto Maple Leafs to make the playoffs and for them to succeed when they get there. By not having to face their former divisional foe Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning until the Conference Finals is a huge win for the organization.

I hope the Leafs understand that they need to capitalize on this season because after the 2020-21 campaign, things could get back to normal and it may be much harder to win. Here are three moves the Toronto Maple Leafs need to make in order to win a championship.

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