2014-15 record: 30-44-8 (68 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Dion Phaneuf
The Toronto Maple Leafs are used to being known as a laughingstock of the NHL, but never was the laughter louder than last season, and it was brutal for Leafs fans. To that end, president Brendan Shanahan took an ax to most of the front office and coaching staff, as well as one of their best goal scorers in recent years. For new General Manager Lou Lamoriello and new head coach Mike Babcock, it's going to be a house building from scratch, and there will be bound to be mistakes. At the very least, the quick fixes of years past are history.
Up front, a dreadful offense will now have to find some way to replace Phil Kessel's production. Kessel often had a love/hate relationship with Toronto media, and given that he didn't always put his best foot forward, the move was a big step in Babcock establishing his authority within the locker room. That puts the likes of Nazem Kadri and Dion Phaneuf on notice. As for goal scoring, James van Riemsdyk will be looked upon to pick up a little bit of the production, as will Kadri, who faces a now or never situation to be the top center the Leafs have lacked since Mats Sundin left town. As for who else will be stepping up, it's going to be a bunch of short-term fixes in Shawn Matthias, P.A. Parenteau, Mark Arcobello until the youth such as Kasperi Kapanen, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner are ready to carry the load. Defensively, they were just as bad, and Phaneuf's reprieve should serve as motivation to be closer to the player the Leafs envisioned they were getting. Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner are facing critical years, as both will be expected to step up their games to the next level. Young depth here is good, but unproven, as Martin Marincin, Scott Harrington, and Stuart Percy haven't had much NHL experience to show for it. In goal, it's Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer, and neither were any good last year. The team in front was partially culpable for the problems here, but Bernier will need to cut down on the soft goals while Reimer has hit his ceiling as a good backup/spot starter.
Prediction: 8th in the Atlantic Division
The Maple Leafs will still be terrible this year, but for the first time since the lockout, there's actually a sense that things will be changing for the better with a new coaching staff and a new front office. Now, if only they can get a player like Auston Matthews in next year's draft...
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