Toronto Maple Leafs Blue-Line
There isn’t too much to say here.
Barring injuries, the Leafs will play Rielly with Brodie, Muzzin with Holl, and Dermott with Sandin. The biggest question is who plays on the right side of that last pairing.
Personally, given the market for defensemen, I’d consider trading Holl and making a spot for Timothy Liljegren in the lineup. Then again, injuries are a near certainty, and it’s always good to have a seventh NHL quality dman with upside on the bench to start the year.
In goal, also not much to say. Jack Campbell will play slightly less than a normal starter due to his injury history, and the high quality of their backup.
Peter Mrazek should be one of the better backups in the league, and I fully expect Campbell to pick up where he left off last year.
Overall, this Leafs lineup is excellent, with a high chance of winning the President’s Trophy and the Atlantic Division. (stats naturalstattrick.com).
But no one really cares about that because they just want to see playoff success. This is the year it’s going to happen. With Matthews and Marner firmly in their primes, but likely not having had their best year yet, this is the time when the Toronto Maple Leafs fully come into their own.
There is not a deeper or more talented roster in the NHL. And that includes Tampa after their off-season exodus.