Some Things to Make You Feel Better About the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off their best and worst season ever.

The regular season Toronto Maple Leafs were the best in team history on a points per game basis, and they almost won the first President’s Trophy in team history.  They had a Hart Trophy Finalist and one of the league’s best two-way players on their roster.

But at the same time, they blew another playoff lead, lost to their biggest rival and are watching as teams with half their talent are successful.

It can be a bit of a bummer, but if you choose to take a positive approach here are some things you should know:

Things that Might Make You Feel Better About the Toronto Maple Leafs

Despite the success of the Habs and Islanders, you are still more likely to go farther in the playoffs if you actually build a good team. Sure, the NHL rewards bad teams with it’s occasionally random results, but those are still poorly built teams with goalies and good luck covering for their mistakes.

Before winning three Stanley Cups, appearing in five of seven Finals and establishing himself as one of the great Playoff Performers of his time, Marian Hossa started his career with one goal in his first 14 playoff games. In the first five years of his career, he had 14 points in 26 playoff games.  Marner 25 in his first 32.  Both are offensively gifted two-way players.

18 games is a very small sample and if a player like Mitch Marner shoots zero percent over 18 games, you can just ignore it as it is indicative of nothing. It is a total fluke.

Tampa drafted their two highest drafted stars in 2008 and 2009.  If the Leafs follow suit, they’ll have a contending window of another seven+ years.

Tampa also disappointed in the playoffs the first year they really established themselves as a top team.

Nobody on the current Leafs team or management  had anything to do with the Leafs infamous loss to the Bruins in 2011.  Three of the Leafs five playoff “failures” with this core of players occurred while the team had no business even making the playoffs.  The last two occurred during pandemic shortened seasons, and while this year’s loss stings, last year’s loss to Columbus was a five game series after a six month break, so let’s keep some perspective.

Kyle Dubas salary cap plan is

so bad

that last year he signed the

second best UFA availabl

e then his team competed for 1st place in the league till the last week of the season while setting a bunch of franchise records, despite the Flat Salary Cap wreaking havoc on his plan.

That is it. I hope you feel better. This is a great team with a great core and a great GM. The Toronto Maple Leafs future is as bright as it’s ever been.  Don’t let some fluky nonsense ruin your enjoyment of the best roster in franchise history.