Through the quarter mark of the NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the NHL's biggest disappointments.
Injuries to key players have battered the team. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Anthony Stolarz, Chris Tanev, Scott Laughton, Steven Lorentz, and Brandon Carlo have all missed multiple games. Nicolas Roy and Matthew Knies both missed the Leafs' most recent game against the St. Louis Blues.
While the long injury list has not helped matters, the Maple Leafs have had subpar performances in most of their first twenty games. A leaky defense and unreliable goaltending have hampered them, and they were publicly challenged by a general manager who questioned their effort and enthusiasm, hinting at a "disconnect" within the group.
Yet despite the turmoil and early slide down the Eastern Conference standings, the Leafs still have an opportunity to climb back into the division race thanks to one big reason.
Why there's hope the Leafs can still climb the standings
Parity reigns supreme in the Eastern Conference, especially within the Atlantic Division. The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils lead the conference standings with identical 13-5-1 records for 27 points and a .711 points percentage. The third-best points percentage in the East belongs to the Pittsburgh Penguins at .632. Before the season, most NHL pundits predicted Sidney Crosby and company to miss the playoffs.
The Detroit Red Wings, having missed the postseason for nine consecutive years, currently lead the Atlantic with 25 points. They have scored 62 goals and given up 62 goals. The Boston Bruins, who many thought would be touch-and-go for a playoff spot, currently sit second in the division with 24 points. They have scored 69 goals and given up 69 goals.
On and on it goes within the Atlantic. The Montreal Canadiens have cooled off after their hot start. They sit third in the division with 23 points and a minus-three goal differential. The Tampa Bay Lightning have 22 points and a plus-three goal differential. The Ottawa Senators have 22 points and a minus-one goal differential. The two-time defending champion Florida Panthers have 21 points with a minus-one goal differential.
There is no dominant team to be found within the Atlantic. The Panthers may have something to say about that when/if injured stars Matthew Tkachuk and Alexander Barkov return. Until then, the division remains wide open for the taking.
The Hurricanes and Penguins are the only teams in the East with a plus double-digit goal differential. The remaining teams all range from plus five (Devils) to minus nine (Buffalo Sabres).
The Maple Leafs have been mediocre to terrible over most of their first 20 games, with a 9-9-2 record for 20 points and a minus-four goal differential. They have played only a few complete games. Yet, wins over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens to close out the week, and suddenly, their outlook is rosier.
A pessimist might point out that the Leafs have squandered a heavy home schedule against weak competition and strong starts from Nylander, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies (true and true). Their abysmal road record (1-5-0) doesn't instill confidence as the schedule toughens, but it's not egregious to expect better days ahead.
The team's top center (Matthews), most reliable defenseman (Tanev), and Stolarz should return soon. None of the others (Laughton, Knies, Carlo) is expected to be out for a long time. Goaltender Joseph Woll has been solid in his return through two games, providing hope that he and Stolarz can push each other to better heights, much like last season.
Even a mini winning streak could see a noticeable ascent in the standings. So, despite a middling .500 record through twenty games, and all the Maple Leafs' early-season deficiencies, one doesn't have to squint too hard to see sunnier days ahead.