The Maple Leafs In My Opinion

Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports It's been no secret that the Leafs ’  Achilles heel over the past two seasons has been their back end.  Heck, it's all everyone seems to be talking about.   Heading into the 2018-19 season, the Leafs defensive unit is projected to look something like this: Rielly-Hainsey Gardiner-Zaitsev Dermott-Carrick Extra: Holl, Ozhiganov While there are some nice pieces included in this group, it can certa i nly be better. Especially when you consider the team as a whole gave up the  third most shots against in the NHL  and Frederik Andersen had to  face the most shots and saves of any goalie  last season. Sure, perhaps the upgrade could come from within the Leafs system with guys like Holl and Ozhiganov vying for a spot ,  as mentioned earlier. There's al s o the possibility of signing a defenseman who has yet to land a contract in free agency  (Cody Franson reunion?) .  Perhaps ,  instead, it 

Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images With the dog days of both the offseason and summer in full swing, it's easy to just sit around and wait for the new season to start. Alternatively, there's the option of contemplating how the Leafs should sort out their lines come October. I decided to go with the latter option, but more specifically ,   to   focus on the  Buds’  special team units. As of August 10, we have a clear idea as to how the lines will shake   up. Mike Babcock said on the day John Tavares signed with the Leafs that he would be on a line with Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman, while Auston Matthews will play with William Nylander and Patrick Marleau. Here's how the rest of the starting lines will probably look like according to TSN. Not included: Tyler Ennis and Josh Jooris What isn't really known at this point, however, is what Babcock and the Leafs have planned for both the power play and penalty killing squads for 2018-19. Today, I decid

Photo credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports With the Stanley Cup Finals well underway, the 2017-18 season is quickly reaching its conclusion. This means the offseason is fast approaching and many important decisions will need to be made by teams heading into both the draft and free agency. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a few areas that need to be addressed in the coming months in order for the team to make the next step towards Cup contention. The 2018 playoffs proved that defence was still a top priority and the depth at centre heading into 2019 is unclear. Obviously, the team could draft the best prospect at the Leafs spot and develop them. That could take a while though as the window is just now opening. There could also be a trade, but what assets do the Leafs feel comfortable giving up to get immediate help? The logical conclusion then would be to sign some key free agents starting  July 1st . There are many marquee players that could be available, like John Tava

Toronto Maple Leafs players leave the ice after losing Game 7 to the Bruins in Boston on Wednesday.   (Charles Krupa/Associated Press) Wednesday's Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins put a premature end to what was a historic season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The team took big leaps, with the young core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander making strides in their game. Frederik Andersen established new franchise bests in the goaltending category. The defensive core of Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner had big seasons offensively. Plus rookie call-ups Travis Dermott, Kasperi Kapanen, and Andreas Johnsson established themselves as lineup staples for the future.  While the Leafs were able to reach franchise highs during the regular season, it's clear the team is not yet ready to reach that next step as they learned some valuable lessons during this year's playoff run. Let's look at five takeaways from this season and where the team need