Toronto Maple Leafs: 2021-22 Atlantic Division Preview

TORONTO, ON - MAY 31: Paul Byron #41 of the Montreal Canadiens is tied up by Zach Bogosian #22 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during Game Seven of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 31, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Map[le Leafs 3-1 to win series 4 games to 3. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 30: Jeremy Lauzon #55 (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Boston Bruins

The Bruins have lost consecutive 2nd round playoff series’ (oh, for a Leaf fan to dream) and enter the season with potential holes at the goaltending and centre positions.

Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak are gone and replaced by Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, respectively. Ullmark is good and he’s playing on a much better team and defense than in Buffalo but he’s also somewhat unproven, never having played 40 games in a single season, and is going to see a lot of action this season).

Swayman, only 22, has a career total of ten NHL and nine AHL games under his belt.

On the centre front, David Krejci Czech-ed out, leaving Charlie Coyle, Erik Haula, Tomas Nosek and 22-year-old Jack Studnicka (a player I totally knew of before writing this article) as the centres vying for the #2-4 spots, after Patrice Bergeron. Coyle is coming off of multiple surgeries and Bergeron, at 36, isn’t getting any younger.

Unless Boston meets up with Toronto in the first-round, in which case they would surely still win in seven games, I don’t see any post-season success for this Bruins squad this year.

Boston’s best fake NHL name: Josiah Didier. But he’s got nothing on Jorgus Mandervogt (any takers?).

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