Season Changing News for Toronto Maple Leafs Rivals

The Toronto Maple Leafs are pretty much a lock to make the playoffs, and are heavily favoured to win the Atlantic Division, even though it is indisputably the NHL’ s toughest division (likely by more than double it’s closest competitor).

As all Toronto Maple Leafs fans know, the Atlantic is ridiculous at the moment.

The Boston Bruins set an NHL record for the best regular season, the Panthers were defending President’s Trophy winners who made the Cup Finals, and the Lightning, prior to last year’s loss to the Leafs, had made the Finals three times in a row, winning twice.

The Leafs, have won nearly 65% of the points available to them over the last four years. For the last two, despite being a top team in the NHL each time, have had to start the playoffs against Tampa twice in a row – which is a testament to how stupid the NHL seeds teams for the playoffs.

In addition to their being four of the league’s top teams in the same division, the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators are three of the league’s up-and-coming teams and despite being a shoe-in for the playoffs in any other division, all three have basically no hope of making this year’s dance.

Until now.

Season Changing News for Toronto Maple Leafs Rivals

Andrei Vasilevskiy is out for ten weeks, or nearly three months.  He is one of the NHL’s few annually reliable goalies.  Only he,  Ilya Sorokin and Connor Hellebuyck can claim to be good every single year, no matter what – at least in recent seasons.

The Lightning are a top-heavy roster based on the same studs-and-duds philosophy the Leafs employ.  Their defence is better than the Leafs because two of their defenseman (Sergachev and Hedman) would be the best on the Leafs.

But their four other defenseman leave a lot to be desired, as do their third and fourth lines.

With Steve Stamkoes and Victor Hedman entering the declining phase of their careers, Vasilevskiy’s star power was key to maintaining their status as a top team.

Vasilevskiy missing nearly half the season puts Tampa into a huge hole, and it gives Buffalo, Detroit and Ottawa a much better chance of making the playoffs.

With Toronto, Boston, Florida and Tampa all but locked in, as well as Carolina, New Jersey and whoever is better between New York and Pittsburgh, Ottawa didn’t appear to have much of a chance to make the playoffs.

Now they do.

At best, they previously could have hoped to beat out the Rangers or Penguins for the Final Wild Card spot.

Now, with Tampa vulnerable, they have two wild card spots to compete for.  Vasilevskiy’s injury is season-changing news.  The Atlantic may be the best division in hockey, but it just got really interesting.