The Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup this season to capture their first title since 1967.
Yes, every season in recent memory ends with fans vowing not to follow this intriguing Toronto Maple Leafs team anymore, and players deflect questions from the media about when they will finally make a long playoff run.
Everyone becomes frustrated and wants it more, which puts even more pressure on the players to break through, but in the end, we all come back for more.
This year is the year. The time has come for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization to make good on their quest. The indicators are there. A confluence of circumstances that have gelled at the right moment in time to give the Leafs the roster to play into late June in 2024.
It took Hall of Fame center and current Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman over 10 years to win a Cup. When Yzerman led the Red Wings in a sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 finals, it was the first title for Detroit in 42 years.
Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin won it 11 years into his career. Heck, legendary defenseman Raymond Bourque lifted the hardest trophy to win in professional sports 21 years after he broke into the National Hockey League as a rookie with the Boston Bruins. It even took the best hockey player ever, Wayne Gretzky, five years to win one.
Does anyone remember how long it took Michael Jordan to win an NBA Championship? No. They only remember the six titles.
So, why is this season the season for the Leafs to win it all?