Hockey is back and for Leafs fans, it’s the start of an 82-game regular season, which means close to nothing without that second-round appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a far from exciting off-season and the departure of some key pieces to the lineup, it is hard to gauge whether the Leafs are better equipped to face their playoff demons.
The answer to whether this team is better than the one we saw blow a 3-1 series lead to the Montreal Canadiens is “it depends.” The most valuable subtraction seems to be that of Zach Hyman, known for his ability to play and produce on all four lines and for being an excellent line-mate for highflying teammates in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. This hole is likely to be filled with Nick Ritchie who scored just 26 points in 56 games last season, compared to Hyman’s 33 points in 43 games. However, Ritchie does bring a big frame and strong net-front presence, so although he may not be the next Zach Hyman, he has potential for increased production on the top two lines. Aside from losing Hyman, the Leafs also lost notable veterans like Foligno and Galchenyuk who had the potential for significant contributions to the team in a full regular season. The defensive core remains the same except for the loss of Zach Bogosian who rejoined the reigned Stanley Cup winning team in the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Whether the young forward additions of Michael Bunting, Ondrej Kase, and David Kampf will make a difference remains a mystery, but there were some promising glimpses of hope through the preseason. Bunting developed good chemistry on the Tavares-Nylander line throughout the pre-season. With Ilya Mikheyev out for the first eight weeks of the season with a thumb injury, the second line winger role seems to be Bunting’s to lose. Ondrej Kase is hoping for a bounce back season after playing just nine games in the past two injury-riddled seasons, and David Kampf replaces Joe Thornton as a faster depth centre.
Between the pipes, we have another feud for the starting spot, which seems to be a norm for fans since the original Bernier-Reimer duo from the 2013-14 season. Statistically, Petr Mrazek did have a stronger showing in 12 games played last season with a 0.923 save percentage compared to Andersen’s 0.895 in 24 games played. Furthermore, he’s been part of multiple playoffs runs with the Carolina Hurricanes, leading them to the Conference Finals in 2019. The hope is Mrazek’s addition to the roster begins another fight for the starting position which leads to stronger performances out of both Campbell and Mrazek.
Although on paper it may seem that this season’s Leafs roster has gotten weaker, the off-season’s additions bring a new energy to the core that has yet to make a second-round appearance. Preseason chemistry led to an impressive 5-1 record, and the new-look Leafs have a balanced roster with young talent trying to prove itself in this league. Expectations may be low coming into the 2021-22 season, but there is still hope that this is the year that the playoff demons are slayed, and bringing in new and young personnel can help shake that past and give fans and the franchise a reason to look toward future success.