Wearing a jersey that resembles the 1970 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are among the best teams in the opening two months of the 2020-21 NHL season, topping the North Division after 18 games.
Sheldon Keefe’s team have a league best 13-3-2 record with a winning head-to-head against all their Canadian opponents so far.
Toronto are the bookmakers’ joint favourites at 7/1, along with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights. If you have a favourite choice among these or any team in the NHL for that matter, you can get great value with a sports Interaction referral code.
With how the NHL has been split into four divisions this year, Toronto are widely-expected to run away with the North Division, with is simply compromised of all seven Canadian franchises.
Among those Canadian teams, the Edmonton Oilers have the second shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup, and they’re as long as 28/1.
Room to Improve
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the Maple Leafs though. None of the three straight victories over the weak Vancouver Canucks were as dominating as expected, whilst shortly afterwards came back-to-back home defeats to the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. The +19-goal difference for a team that has won 10 more times than they have lost isn’t hugely convincing either.
Winning their division won’t prove anything given the state the opponents are currently in. There’s no reason why Toronto shouldn’t be topping the table to head into the playoffs.
Star Quality
A number of attacking players have impressed in the opening weeks of the current campaign. Auston Matthews has 16 goals and nine assists, Mitch Marner leads the team with 27 points (8 goals, 19 assists) – third in the NHL overall. Morgan Rielly has 12 assists along with two goals.
Toronto have one of the best Center’s in the league in John Tavares too, on hand to put the puck in the net as well as setting up teammates.
Frederik Anderson is one of the top goaltenders in the NHL and has started the majority of the team’s games as you’d expect.
There’s still room for improved defensive performances, particularly the defencemen on the roster.
Serious Contenders?
Not since 1967 have the Maple Leafs won the big one and it will be hard to judge Toronto against the rest of the league with the playoffs given the unique circumstances teams are playing under this season. Not just with the reduced crowds but with all regular season games being played against their division rivals only.
Defending champions Tampa Bay, and Vegas will have tougher tests during the regular season to prove themselves and adjust their tactics to strengthen their tactics before the playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are deservedly among the Stanley Cup favourites currently given their win-loss record and the star quality on the team. Provided the team keep chalking up victories then who says they can’t go all the way once again?
