With the Toronto Maple Leafs about to begin training camp, it is a good time to assess their roster. Specifically, is it worthy of being considered a Stanley Cup contender?
The Toronto Maple Leafs roster that suffered last year’s second-round playoff defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers looks very different from the one that will report to training camp this week.
And yet, very much the same.
Going back even further, the opening night lineup for the 2022-2023 season contained names that most fans have likely long forgotten.
That is because, this year, as in the last several years, the Leafs have changed out almost their entire supporting cast around their core of Rielly-Brodie and the Four Star Forwards.
This year saw the exciting addition of Tyler Bertuzzi, and the probably addition of promising rookie Matthew Knies, who looked great last year in the playoffs.
The Leafs also added several depth acquisitions and will probably be counting on players like Nick Robertson and Timothy Liljegren than they have in the past.
Last season’s trade deadline acquisitions helped the team finally surpass the first round but does this edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs offer realistic hope for a Conference Final or Stanley Cup Finals appearance?