The Toronto Maple Leafs preseason will begin shortly with the opening of training camp and the annual prospect tournament which begins on the 14th.
With the regular season rapidly approaching now, many teams in the NHL have made moves to improve their current roster. The Toronto Maple Leafs, have had a busy summer and the reviews have been mixed.
The people who see this team with the glass half full like the name-brand players the Leafs signed in the offseason and do not seem concerned about the change in management.
Those who see the glass as half-empty are not happy about Kyle Dubas being fired, and do not seem to like how the new GM spent over $11 million dollars on Klingberg, Domi, Reaves, and Kampf.
Pre-Season Predictions for the Toronto Maple Leafs
It’s hard to know who is right, since no games have been played. The organization, however, seems to be going with more or less the same vision, and most of the changes were superficial (i.e the core four, the best defensmen and the goalies are all back for another season).
Also, the majority of the new players are on single-year contracts and can be moved later in the year if better options present themselves.
As the pre-season comes into play and unfolds for the Leafs, the main question will be what kind of chemistry the team has, because although the team has essentially the same star players, the entire supporting cast has seemingly changed. (The Leafs had 11 expiring contracts on their roster last season).
The prediction here is that the Leafs are fine, the criticism is overblown, and they will once again be a top team.
A second question is if the prospects they currently have will earn their way on to the roster. Specifically Matthews Knies, Joseph Woll and Nick Robertson, all of whom the Leafs will be looking to to provide value on cheap contracts.
Expect all three to play major roles on the Leafs this season.
The next level of business would have to be their defensive game, specifically their blue-line. The Leafs blue-line lacks both physicality and upside, with 5 puck-moving defenders who don’t hit, and 5 players approaching or already beyond 30 years old.
What comes to light is that this roster is nowhere near a finished product, but is still one that should have no problem competing for the 2024 Stanley Cup. How the Playoffs actually go is a completely different matter, but the Leafs should easily be a top team this season.
To dominate in the regular season, this team will have to demonstrate that it can compete temporarily with its current roster until reinforcements are made gradually throughout the season.
The best part is that this team should be fun to watch every night.