Maple Leafs Tickets

We’ve been hearing about the very young, and very talented Toronto Maple Leafs for several years now. Well, they finally showed up a year ago, for an entire season. They finished tied for fifth with 100 points during the regular season and drew the Boston Bruins in round one, who they took to seven games before bowing out, which was pretty impressive since nobody gave them much of a chance in that series. They’re biggest question remained the same- They can score goals at will, they just can’t stop them. So did they do anything to finally stop them this offseason?

It didn’t take them long to fix the problem, and boy did they ever. They traded their first-round selection, Carl Gundstrum, along with Sean Durzi to the Los Angeles Kings for star defenseman Jake Muzzin. Then on July 1st they sent Nikita Zaitsev, Connor Brown, and Michael Carcone to the Ottowa Senators for defenseman Codi Ceci, defenseman Ben Harpur, and center Aaron Luchuk, plus a 2020 third-round draft choice. But wait, there’s more. In free agency they added defenseman Kevin Gravel and traded for defenseman Jordan Schmaltz of the St. Louis Blues. So yes, to make a long story short, they fixed their awful defense. The defense has been rebuilt, the offense is full of firepower, and the Maple Leafs begin 2019 as the favorites to win Lord Stanley’s Cup. Now the only thing left to do is watch.

A lot of pressure is being put on the Toronto Maple Leafs to grow up, and grow up fast. A year ago they were a trendy preseason pick to win the Eastern Conference. Instead, they finished fourth with 105 points and bowed out in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

If you look at their roster though, this talented young team is only going to get better. Their top player, 21-year-old center Austin Matthews finished 2nd on the team with 62 points despite missing 20 games due to injury. Their leading scorer was 21-year-old center Mitch Marner with 69 points. 22-year-old right winger William Nylander was next down the list with 61 points. If we keep going 5th on the team in points with 55 was 27-year-old center Nazem Kadri. The man who finished 6th in points with 54, left winger James van Riemsdyk, left in free agency for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Their big offseason signing was adding left winger John Tavares on a seven-year contract to replace the departed van Riemsdyk. Yes, they signed Tavares, but the Maple Leafs have still yet to address their biggest issue- defense. This is a team that can score goals at will, but they can’t stop them, in fact, that is what got them in their 7-4 loss in game seven against the Bruins in round one. What this team is missing, and what they have yet to find, is that big bad bruiser on the back line who intimidates people. Once they find that, they will be able to take on anybody.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have reset their team for the new season. After finding themselves fourteen games below .500 at the end of last season, the team had to make big moves to improve their lot in the NHL.

The team let Phil Kessal go, and signed their head coach to big multi-year contract. Coming from a solid franchise, Mike Babcock promises to make the team into a powerhouse. Toronto will focus on "puck possession" this year.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a nightmare 2016 season, finishing the season with just 69 points, good for the worst record in the National Hockey League overall. This led the Maple Leafs to landing the number one overall selection in the 2016 NHL draft, and they used that selection to draft Auston Matthews, a center from California, who has played in the United States Hockey League and National League A. Matthews began his career with one of the best performances in sports history, scoring four goals in his first game. Matthews isn't the only young talent the Maple Leafs have either. Mitch Marner, a 19-year-old center, last year’s first round draft choice, is off to a solid start as well. 2014 first round draft choice 20-year-old winger William Nylander is projected to have a 100 point season this year. Be patient Maple Leafs fans, the cavalry is coming.

The Toronto Maple Leafs barely sneaked into the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, finishing with 95 points, good for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs were matched up against the high-powered Washington Capitals in round one. Toronto did a good job hanging in there four six games, against a team that heavily favored to beat them. One thing is for sure, the Maples have the best prized young talent across the entire league.

20-year-old Austin Matthews recorded 69 points a year ago as a rookie and has Hart Memorial Trophies in his future. His buddy, 20-year-old center Mitch Marner scored 61 points a year ago. 23-year-old right winger Connor Brown added 42 points to the tally for the club as well. William Nylander threw 61 points into the pot a year ago as well. Where the team needs to get better is on defense. They can score goals. They just can’t stop them at times. To help solve this problem they added defensemen Timothy Liljegren with the 17th overall selection in the draft. The Maple Leafs are on the rise. Make a few more adjustments on defense and they will be raising Lord Stanley’s Cup sooner rather than later.