The Toronto Maple Leafs have two significantly tough Atlantic Division opponents in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.
However, there’s a caveat with both Florida teams. The Lightning have a talented but aging core that may run out of steam at any point. Thus far, they look strong, but there’s no telling how much they have left in the tank.
As for the Panthers, injuries have taken a serious toll on them this season. The early-season losses of Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk could be enough to keep the club reeling for much of the season.
That being said, the Maple Leafs’ biggest divisional rival may be the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens, much like the Ottawa Senators, have built a young core based on high-end talent. The Habs’ rebuild has yielded numerous rising stars like Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov, and Oliver Kapanen.
Cole Caufield is already an established star, while Juraj Slafkovsky may be looking to finally deliver on his first-overall pedigree.
The Canadiens have also added great complementary pieces like Zack Bolduc, Kirby Dach, and Noah Dobson. That core, anchored by captain Nick Suzuki, looks like it could be the real deal for more, just a couple of seasons.
Unless the wheels somehow fall off the club, the Canadiens look poised to rise in the Eastern Conference, riding pure, young talent.
That situation may imply a tough challenge for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the Leafs aren’t exactly the youngest club in the league.
Maple Leafs could capitalize on Canadiens’ weaknesses
Like all teams, the Canadiens are far from perfect. And that’s something the Maple Leafs can capitalize on.
The Canadiens have a precarious goaltending situation. Since Carey Price left the crease, the Habs have failed to find a solid number-one goalie to guide the team. For the time being, Samuel Montembeault is the guy in Montreal. But he’s hardly a Vezina Trophy candidate.
Similarly, backup Jakub Dobes has been brilliant at times, albeit briefly. The early returns this season have shown the Habs winning games based on their resilience, goaltending be damned. The Habs don’t have the luxury of playing poorly and having a goalie like Price stealing games for them.
Montreal’s last game, against the Seattle Kraken, was an example of that. They had a lead, coasted for a fair chunk of the game, and blew it. But it was their resilience that forced overtime, and then pulled out the two points.
That’s something the club cannot live off for an entire season, much less a playoff run. At some point, poor play and lack of solid goaltending may catch up to them. If that’s the case, push may come to shove and force the Canadiens to pursue a high-end goalie.
If the Canadiens miss the playoffs this season, the offseason narrative may be the need for a true number-one goalie. In my estimation, the Canadiens won’t miss the playoffs. But there’s always the chance that a slump, coupled with less-than-stellar netminding, may be enough to keep the Canadiens from playing in the 2026 NHL postseason.
But even if the Habs don’t make it this season. Don’t count them out. They could be the next great club as the current top teams begin to inevitably fade.