2015-16 record: 29-42-11 (69 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA
Entering their 100th year since they formed, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of a painful, to put in coach Mike Babcock's words, process of rebuilding. That pain last season resulted in being dead last in the standings, yet brought them a sense of hope, as the lottery went their way and they were able to draft Auston Matthews. The pain will continue, but with a youthful core learning on the job, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Offensively, when your leading scorer only amasses 45 points as Nazem Kadri did, you know your offense is terrible. Of course, they also let their only 20-goal scorer from last season leave, as P.A. Parenteau went back to the New York Islanders. For better or for worse, any success of the youth movement will largely hinge on Matthews, who draws comparisons to Jonathan Toews. If true, the Leafs will have their true number one center not seen since Mats Sundin last played there. There are other young players ready to make an impact, as Mitch Marner, William Nylander, among others, will vie for spots, but having a healthy James van Riemsdyk, as well as an improved Kadri will be key. To ensure that opposing players don't take too many liberties with the group, the Leafs signed Matt Martin, and along with Leo Komarov, will be just as important to the development. Defensively, they were still bad going by rankings, but shaving 17 goals off the total was a sign that the blue line is getting better. The problem is that only Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner qualify as top four defenders at the moment. There's a lot of bodies competing for the next four spots, but no true standouts, though Martin Marincin showed his worth on the penalty kill. In goal, the Leafs are hoping newcomer Frederik Andersen will be able to replicate his numbers with Anaheim, but this will also be his first true starting job, as he's always split with John Gibson. Jhonas Enroth was signed to buy Garret Sparks a little more time with the Marlies. Predictably, the power play was awful, and it will probably be that way again until it is known just how much of an impact the kids will make. The penalty kill was middle of the pack, which was a by-product of the team buying what Babcock was selling.
Prediction: 8th in the Atlantic Division
It'll be another long year for the Maple Leafs, yet it appears that fans are willing to buy into pain now for sustained success later. After years of short fixes and trading away draft picks, getting a player like Matthews may very well be the thing that changes their fortunes...in a few years.
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