The Arizona Coyotes are hoping for a magical season. We are looking at each team and how they did last year against the Coyotes and our forecast for this year.
Our first Canadian team:
Today we look at: Toronto Maple Leafs
2014-15 record: 30-44-8, 7th in the Atlantic, Didn’t make the playoffs
How the Arizona Coyotes did: 2 games, 2-0-0
Schedule this year against the Arizona Coyotes: Mon 10/26 Toronto, Tue 12/22 at Home
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Notable additions: LW Taylor Beck, D Matt Hunwick, C Shawn Matthias, LW P.A. Parenteau
Notable subtractions: RW Phil Kessel, LW David Booth
Coached by: Mike Babcock (1st season)
Who’s in Net: The Leafs were quite undecided who their lead net-minder was last season. With new coach Mike Babcock, there might be some better decisions made this season. Jonathan Bernier battled James Reimer all season, and then battled the Maple Leafs in salary arbitration. They finally settled on a two-year contract before the arbitrator’s decision. It will be an interesting season to see if Babcock can turn around a team who showed no vision or will to win last season.
Quick thoughts about the Maple Leafs:
- After years of floundering aimlessly, they signed HC Mike Babcock and GM Lou Lamoriello. The two of them have the background to make this team respectable again.
- The Toronto faithful fans, who are tough to please (just ask Phil Kessel) will have to weather the storm for a couple more years after waiting 46 years since the last Cup.
- With the trade of Phil Kessel and others, the team is banking its hopes on prospects and draft choices (sound familiar?) to bring them to the promise-land. This is something they should have done years ago, but now the faithful fans will have to anxiously wait even longer than expected.
Why the Leafs will win the Stanley Cup: Let’s face it if your horse hasn’t come in for years, it HAS to eventually, right? Not necessarily. The Maple Leafs may fight us for the first draft lottery ball after this season is in the history books. The Maple Leafs are just hoping that those history books will show them winning a Cup before too much longer. (Don’t count on it, or even bet on it)
Why the Leafs won’t win the Stanley Cup: They finished ahead of Buffalo in the Atlantic and the Sabres got a whole lot better. They need to continue their rebuild, and hope for the young prospects to develop enough to improve their fortunes. Unless Mitch Marner becomes the next Connor McDavid, the Maple Leafs are not going to turn over a new Leaf.
Three Things We Like About You:
- You have to like a team that stole Mike Babcock away from the Red Wings. Detroit was so sure he wouldn’t leave them. Anything bad that happens to the Red Wings goes down as a good event, since the Wings OWN us.
- I have visited Toronto and it is one of my favorite big cities. It is clean and friendly, a beautiful place, and if you go you MUST see the Hockey Hall of Fame, you’ll love it. I have to admit, though, I’ve only been there in summer, and being in the desert, snow doesn’t work for me.
- You’ve got to love those jerseys and logo, they are classics, and they don’t go changing or adding new jerseys, since they know they have a good thing going on.
Three Things We Don’t Like About You:
- Don’t deny it. Toronto is one of the teams that think there is no room in the NHL for other than the original six franchises. We love our hockey here and we’re part of the NHL too, even if critics complain that hockey doesn’t belong in the desert.
- We aren’t real fond of the NHL-Holier-Than-Though attitude that comes through either. You know, the one where you think you can just throw a team on the ice and EXPECT to win.
- We can’t understand why your fans and press are so tough on their team. Let them try to see how it feels to maybe not have a team, as we have, and then we will see how critical they are.
Prediction: The Maple Leafs have a much better chance of competing for the top pick in the Entry Draft than they do making the playoffs this season. If we were you, we would hire someone to spend the season in Edmonton and figure out how to win that draft lottery; they are really good at it. Maybe when Las Vegas gets a team, the Maple Leafs can let them take over the bottom of the league standings.
Next: Arizona Coyotes Draft Option: Mitch Marner
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