2013-14 record: 38-36-8 (84 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Dion Phaneuf
The Toronto Maple Leafs fell back to their usual bumbling ways after making the playoffs in 2013. From the disastrous maiden year of David Clarkson to the Dave Bolland Experiment gone awry to a defense that was easy to get around, the Maple Leafs took several steps back. Though Jonathan Bernier made his case to be the starting goaltender, he also got hurt, and that exposed both James Reimer and the defensive unit in front of the goaltender. The only moves the Leafs made to fix this unit were buying out Tim Gleason, trading for Roman Polak, and signing Stephane Robidas. None of those moves are exactly extreme makeover quality. The hope here is that Dion Phaneuf will rebound from a horrid year and youngsters Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly will continue to develop into solid players. Up front is where the team's strength lies, particularly the top two lines. The James van Riemsdyk-Tyler Bozak-Phil Kessel line posted their usual great numbers. It's the bottom two lines that could be an issue, particularly if Clarkson doesn't improve upon his 14 points in 60 games from last season.
Prediction: 7th in the Atlantic Division
The Leafs have more questions than answers at this point, which means they will be missing out on playoff hockey barring a miracle.
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