A Much Too Early Guess at the Toronto Maple Leafs Opening Night Team

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have lost in the first round – again – but they’ll still enter the 2022-23 season as Stanley Cup Favorites.

The Toronto Maple Leafs set a franchise record for wins and points in 2021-22, and will be looking to extend their regular season success into the playoffs.

In order to do so, they need to solidify the bottom of their forwards, their blueline and their net.

The Leafs have all the core players in place – save a goalie – and so only need to acquire peripheral pieces, for the most part.

With that in mind, here is my way-too-early prediction of the opening night roster.

Toronto Maple Leafs Opening Night Roster for 2022-23

Michael Bunting- Auston Matthews – William Nylander

Nick Robertson – Mitch Marner – John Tavares

Pierre Engvall –  David Kampf –  Alex Steeves

Matthews Knies –  Colin Blackwell – Nick Abruzzese

I believe the Leafs will let Mikheyev sign elsewhere, while quietly letting Clifford and Simmonds know that they won’t be making the team next year.

Spezza has retired, and instead of looking for the next Bunting, I think the Leafs will use their resources to get a goalie, while going young in their bottom six.

I believe the addition of four Marlies to the forward group will cause some growing pains at first, but the upside here will pay off later in the season.  The Leafs star players, along with Engvall, Kampf and Blackwell are good enough to support so many rookies at once.

Rielly – Brodie

Sandin – Liljegren

Giordano – Lyubushkin

Rielly, who has no defense, and Brodie, who has no offense, combine to make one elite player.  There can’t be a more complimentary duo in the league, and there’s no point in breaking it up. Especially when cap savings can be found elsewhere.

The second pairing likely becomes one of the NHL’s best pairings and the Leafs top pairing by seasons end.

On the third pairing you have  an absolutely great shut-down duo.  Put these two with Kampf and Engvall and one of Marner/Matthews when you need to lock down a game and it will be nothing but money.

This set-up leaves more than enough cap space – thanks to getting Jake Muzzin to waive his no trade clause – to pursue the acquisition of Jordan Binnington.

Binnington is possibly available, and has one of the highest high-danger save percentages in the NHL among active goalies for the last three seasons.  He also has a Stanley Cup.

If the Toronto Maple Leafs were to put together the lineup above, I believe he’d have two after next season.