The Toronto Maple Leafs set a team record for points in a season last year.
This year, it’s likely that the Toronto Maple Leafs beat that record. It’s possible they challenge the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens NHL record 132 points.
That’s right.
I am telling you that this might actually be one of the best teams of all time.
For three seasons under Sheldon Keefe, over 200 games, the Leafs have flirted with a .700 points percentage and are the sixth best NHL team over this time.
Looking at the last two seasons, the Leafs are fourth overall.
They have a .696 points percentage. (All stats naturalstattrick.com).
That’s with the 19th best goaltending over the last two years, while no other competitive team’s best players all had to sign contracts on the eve of the pandemic, the timing of which was far worse for Toronto than any other team.
They came fourth anyways, but if the cap had gone up like it was supposed to when TV, Gambling and Expansion all converged, the Leafs wouldn’t have had to play right up against the cap this entire time.
They could have, maybe even should have, won anyways. But my point here today isn’t to make excuses, it’s to show how good they were under bad circumstances so you can see how good they’ll be this year under good ones.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Going to Dominate
The Leafs have the most stars in the NHL, two of the four best players in the world, two of the best young defenseman on earth, the deepest team, the best cap situation, and the best GM.
That is a recipe for success.
Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to have three star players – Liljegren, Sandin and Robertson – in the NHL and contributing on league minimum salaries. Oh what’s that it’s too early to call them stars? Just watch.
Oh and Mark Giordano signed so cheaply that you can now average out his and Tavares salaries and say, with a straight face, that combined, the Leafs have two of the cheapest future hall of famers in the league.
You might think John Tavares is overpaid, but if you average out the salaries of him and Mark Giordano, the Leafs have 2 x Hall of Fame superstars making just $6 million each.
— Editor in Leaf (@EditorinLeaf) October 6, 2022
That's crazy value.
The Leafs stars will make them one of the best team’s in hockey.
Having a third line with no stars on it that doesn’t cost barely anything cap-wise, that can shut down other team’s first lines and allow you to exploit matchups (at least at home) makes the Leafs almost impossible to play.
Having guys like Bunting, Robertson, Sandin and Liljegren so far down the depth chart other teams’ won’t know what hit them is going to help too.
The goaltending is the best part. In front of this team, either Samsonov or Murray could turn into one of the best goalies in the NHL. And if they don’t, the Leafs have so much flexibility built into their roster, they’ll just make a late season trade for Connor Hellebuyck.
l’ve been optimistic before, but never this optimistic. This is the best team anyone who cheers for the Toronto Maple Leafs has ever seen in their lives. They are the only team in hockey 100% guaranteed to make the playoffs, and they will likely win the Stanley Cup.
And the Presidents Trophy. And the Atlantic Division.
But maybe not – there’s a lot of variance involved and the best team doesn’t always win. But what is guaranteed is that this team will be fun to watch, and they’ll never quit, and they haver a ton of personality, so they’re also very easy to cheer for.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are easily the NHL’s best team right now. Colorado got worse, Tampa got worse, and no one else is even in the conversation. Carolina? Please.
I have built up a lot of of I told you so’s, and I can’t wait to send them out. If you would like one, please send a S.A.S.E to The Psychic Alliance c/o James Tanner XVI, or to the Hockey Hall of Fame Media Wing, where I’m holding a residence all month long.
Go Leafs!