The Toronto Maple Leafs had a busy off-season and the fans have been eagerly awaiting the start of another regular season. This might be a nice time to remind fans that last year was technically not a complete failure. The Leafs were finally successful in breaking the curse and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to capture their first playoff series win in 19 years. Sure, they may have gone on to drop the series against the underdog Florida Panthers in five, but the fanbase was still able to experience some moments of pure and utter joy celebrating as Captain Tavares snuck one by Vasilevsky in that Game 6 overtime period.
Despite the playoff disappointment, the Leafs were able to attract a couple of big names on the market. Tyler Bertuzzi, one of the more sought after free agents in the mix this off season, was brought in on a one-year, 5.5 million-dollar deal. At the time of writing this article, he’s been logging a ton of minutes playing on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner and a welcome presence in the locker room. Reeled in on a similar budget is John Klingberg, once an elite defenceman with the Stars, brought in on a safe 1-year, 4.15 million-dollar contract. With the emergence of Connor Timmins as a potential regular in the line-up, the load is significantly reduced for Mike Giordano, and the Leafs are in a sweet spot with a young roster and seasoned veteran core still intact.
To add as a complementary piece to the offensively talented top 9, forward Ryan Reaves also signed with the team on a 3-year deal. Playing on both the third and fourth line throughout the pre-season, we’ve gotten a taste for what may be a very pesky set of lines that many teams will have trouble dealing with throughout the season.
It may be too early to throw out predictions, but from what we’ve seen so far, it seems like a balanced and rejuvenated Leafs roster is ready to take another crack at it. A new GM has brought in some amazing new pieces while keeping the main core, and the players seem to be enjoying the young energy in the locker room and on the ice. Leafs fans can look forward to an entertaining regular season ahead and hope that it translates to some playoff success.