Hot Take: Leafs Set to Quietly Dominate Atlantic Division From the Get-Go
Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Though the team lost Mitch Marner, some fans and analysts on social media believe the Leafs are primed and ready to keep their name on the Atlantic Division crown.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have done what they could thus far this offseason in order to try and replace the loss of Mitch Marner. They added a ton of depth and brought in names like Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua as part of a new-look roster.
Though some questions still remain about the placement of certain people in the lineup, there is no denying this team is the deepest it's been as there are a lot of players who can stake a claim to lining up come October.
Maple Leafs Roster Depth Key To Atlantic Division Dominance
For some fans though, they believe that not only will that depth carry them through the regular season, but also give the team a second straight Atlantic Division crown.
This all hinges on the new faces coming in and producing, Auston Matthews getting back to his 55-60 goal pace, and the goaltending has to be as solid as ever; and they need to avoid getting hurt.
But for some, they don't believe the hype and it makes for a good back and forth between the Leafs faithful.
But should the fans really ignore the hype?
Why Toronto's Depth Matters Now and in the Playoffs
Compared to last season, the Maple Leafs are finally seemingly able to get past their second round demons and make it to the Conference Finals.
They brought in extra help in the forms of Michael Pezzetta, Henry Thrun, Travis Boyd, and Dakota Mermis; the key this season was insurance and the team has enough.
But beyond that they have the pieces able to hang with teams like Florida. If Sam Bennett wants to get nasty with the team, don't expect guys like Joshua and Pezzetta stand by and do nothing unlike previous players.
Plus, their team has actual scoring depth now. Joshua can add 15-20 goals, Roy has the potential to add 15, and Matias Maccelli may hit 60+ points for the first time in his career.
Couple that with the new Core Four (Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Knies) plus a motivated and healthy back end (both blueline and goaltending) and you have a serious recipe for success.
The team is built to withstand whatever teams throw at them, and if anyone drops out, they can simply put in a suitable replacement.
Though, one thing that would certainly put them over the top would be that top-six force they've been searching for all summer.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 2 | 1837 ANSWERS Hot Take: Leafs Set to Quietly Dominate Atlantic Division From the Get-Go Where do you think Toronto will finish this season? | ||
| Atlantic Champs! | 586 | 31.9 % |
| Second | 719 | 39.1 % |
| Third | 371 | 20.2 % |
| Fourth or Worse | 161 | 8.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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