On Oct. 6, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost a game 5-3 against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena. I was not impressed, nor was I in the least happy that the rebuilding Senators won the game.
Looking at the roster, you would think that the Leafs would have won—Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Patrick Marleau, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri. Must I go on?
In the weeks leading up to the current season, much of the conversation surrounding the Leafs involved the words “Stanley Cup contenders.” I’ve come to scrap that narrative for Leafs fans. Allow me to explain why the Leafs will not win the Cup this season.
Based strictly on offensive talent, the Leafs will definitely put up 100 points at the end of the season. For fans like myself, this is exciting. Before the 2016 season, I used to hang my head in shame every Saturday night when the Leafs faced a high-tier team, and then lose on home ice. I used to call those days “the dark days,” especially when I got laughed at in high school every first period on Monday.
Mike Babcock, the Leafs’ then-newly acquired head coach, provided early hope for Leafs fans in 2015. The addition of Matthews in 2016 and the development of surrounding players like Marner and William Nylander propelled the Leafs to a playoff spot against the Washington Capitals.
They lost that series four games to two.
The Leafs returned to the postseason the following year—this time against historic division rival, the Boston Bruins. Again, they failed to move onto the second round, as the Bruins defeated the Leafs four games to three.
In both playoff series, the one underlying problem was the defense. Let me be specific: Jake Gardiner was the problem. The guy had 20 turnovers in game seven, the most crucial game in a series. I swear to you, I had black hair when the season started, and when it ended, I was pulling out grey ones.
My point is, the Leafs will not contend for the Cup this season because of their carelessness in the neutral zone, resulting in a weak blue line.
The Leafs need to follow the examples of strong teams like the Capitals, or even the Tampa Bay Lightning, to realize that there’s still work to be done. Babcock is a coach that specializes in skill development and puck possession, which is basically what a team needs to succeed in the playoffs.
The addition of Ron Hainsey helps our younger defenders because of his previous playoff experience in Pittsburgh where his team won a Cup, but by no means does it make up for the turnover rate in the neutral zone.
The thing is, I was optimistic that the Leafs would have traded or even put Gardiner on waivers. But, when I saw him in training camp, I hoped to God that he stepped up his game—and I guess last Saturday denounced that.
The Leafs need to add quality defenders, ones who can hold down the line and teach our young guys more than the fundamentals of hockey. Complete this step, and the Buds will be one step closer to victory.
The last reason the Leafs will not win the Cup this year is their lack of experience. The Winnipeg Jets got swept twice by the Anaheim Ducks, then lost in the conference final against the Las Vegas Golden Knights, in their inaugural season as a franchise. If any team knows losing, it’s the Jets.
What’s interesting is that the players who experienced loss the most remained on the team. These players at least won a couple rounds in the playoffs—the Leafs have not won any, at least not in the last three years. Now, the Jets are poised to win the Cup—and are my favourites by a longshot—in front of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Leafs are close, but not quite there yet, when it comes to winning the Cup. We need to learn how to walk, crawl, and then run. Right now, we’re crawling. Improve the D-line, and then win some playoff rounds—that is the recipe for success.
