Toronto Maple Leafs Are Just the East Coast Edmonton Oilers

The Toronto Maple Leafs unfortunately resemble the east-coast version of the Edmonton Oilers, and that's far from a compliment.

A comparison of the rosters of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Oilers reveals numerous similarities. Not only do players like Zach Hyman, Sam Gagner, Connor Brown, Jack Campbell, Cody Ceci, and Calvin Pickard share a history with the Leafs before joining Edmonton, but the top-end talent is also strikingly similar.

Connor McDavid stands as the best player in the NHL, with Auston Matthews, a former Hart Trophy winner, arguably securing the second spot.

Paired with McDavid is Leon Draisaitl, akin to Mitch Marner or William Nylander for the Leafs. While the Oilers offensive duo is unstoppable, their weakness lies in defense and goaltending. It's an unfortunate philosophy shared by the Leafs – attempting to outscore problems is a strategy that no Stanley Cup-winning GM has ever endorsed.

Being in such a predicament is disheartening for fans, as both the Oilers and Leafs grapple with identical issues. Oilers fans witness the nightly brilliance of the best player since Wayne Gretzky, yet playoff success eludes them due to defensive shortcomings.

McDavid's impressive 75 points in 45 career playoff games have not translated into a championship ring.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Are East Coast Oilers

Similarly, the Leafs boast stellar performances from Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares, but when it matters most, the absence of a reliable goaltender becomes glaringly evident.

Both franchises harbor hopes of becoming Stanley Cup contenders, but until they rectify their defensive vulnerabilities, they will remain teams with potent offenses that falter in the spring.

Optimism emerges in the form of the Oilers' playoff struggles potentially motivating McDavid to consider leaving Edmonton for a return to Toronto, but that remains a distant dream.

Even if McDavid were to join the Leafs, the absence of a reliable goalie might still lead to their downfall. I mean, the Leafs do not currently (at least as of this writing) have an NHL quality goalie on their roster. You aren't exactly going to win many games when Martin Jones is the best guy you can put out there.

For the sake of Canadian hockey, it's essential for both franchises to address these issues promptly. An enticing Stanley Cup Final matchup between McDavid and Matthews is a captivating prospect, but at the current pace, both teams have a greater likelihood of missing the playoffs than facing each other in the Finals