The Toronto Maple Leafs made significant changes to their roster this off-season which were necessary because they had 10 expiring contracts.
The Toronto Maple Leafs remain built around their core of superstars, and as such, can win the Atlantic Division this season.
Top divisional rivals Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins lost significant pieces from their winning teams of years past. Other teams in the Atlantic have improved, but have they improved enough to challenge for the top spot in the division? I don’t think so, but that’s why they play the games.
The Leafs will still need a lot of things to go in their favor to win the division, but they do have all their core players in the lineup for this season.
If there was ever a season the Leafs should be able to win their division, it’s the 2023-24 season. As of right now, the future beyond this season is unknown for some of the Toronto Maple Leafs top players, so they should be in a win-now mode all season.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has put together a team that has many different elements. Hopefully, those different elements will help the Leafs win more games, but especially the close one goal games.
A deciding factor in winning the division will be playing well against divisional rivals and winning those games.
Here is a closer look at each team in the Atlantic Division and what they bring into the start of the 2023-24 NHL regular season. The teams will be placed in order of how I think the final standings will look at the end of the regular season.
First though, I’d like to take a moment and offer my condolences to all of Rodion Amirov’s family and friends. The Leafs prospect passed away on August 14th after a two year battle with a brain tumor.