Toronto Maple Leafs: Same Song, Different Dance

The Maple Leafs are in training camp action. Source: Toronto Maple Leafs (twitter/X)

 The Toronto Maple Leafs losing in the First Round feels inevitable. It’s happened in the playoffs every season since 2018 except for the 2023 run where they lost in the Second Round. This season, however, the Leafs look like a different team and won’t be the same old team.

Everything You Need To Know

• The Maple Leafs fired Sheldon Keefe and hired Craig Berube as their head coach. This doesn’t change much on the ice but it makes them a better team for the playoffs with Berube having the experience to get this team over the hump.
• One of their big addition this offseason was Chris Tanev. They signed the 34-year-old defenseman to a six-year deal (that’s a lot of years for an aging skater) with the hopes that he’ll round out the unit. He’s still playing at a high level so it will help them this season.
• The team despite all the changes is still led by the same core. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nyland, and John Tavares are the four forwards who take up most of the cap space and lead this team.

Projection

This team will once again be one of the best in the NHL. The question is if they are built for the playoffs. They still have questions in the net and their stars tend to struggle in the playoffs but Berube will get the best out of this squad in the playoffs, one would hope. It’s why with the Leafs, we’ve gotten used to the idea that the more things change, the more they stay the same.