2017-18 record: 49-26-7 (105 points)
Lost to Boston in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: TBA
The Toronto Maple Leafs were living their version of Groundhog Day, as they had an opportunity to advance to the next round for the first time since 2004. As it was in 2013, however, the Boston Bruins once again ended their hopes. The culprit? A defense that was bad in front of Frederik Andersen. Their solution for this coming season? Scoring more goals, which is exactly where John Tavares comes in. They have the offense if everyone is in camp, but do they have the defense?
The second ranked offense gets better, as Tavares will be there for seven years and join the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and if he can get signed in time, William Nylander. Even with the game seven loss last year, they still scored four goals, so offense should be no problem. The 11th ranked defense is quite deceptive, as Andersen was a big reason for it. He may be inconsistent at times, but he saves a team that has pylons such as Nikita Zaitsev and notorious defensive liability Jake Gardiner as their defensemen. While they add by subtracting Roman Polak, they also lose some sandpaper in Matt Martin and Leo Komarov.
Prediction: 3rd in the Atlantic Division
The Maple Leafs won the big prize of the off-season when John Tavares signed with them. The problem immediately is still that they didn't address their defensive deficiencies, but the long-term problem may be whether they can sign all of Matthews, Marner, and/or Nylander soon.
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