Mike Babcock carried out his mandate to bring the Toronto Maple Leafs from the cellar of the Eastern Conference back into contention, but his inability to get the Leafs deep into the playoffs led to his dismissal earlier this season. The Leafs are one of the Original Six franchises in the NHL and actually have a storied history. Only the Montreal Canadiens have won more Stanley Cup championships than the 13 that the Leafs have claimed, but Toronto has not hoisted the Cup since 1967, the last year when there were only six teams in the league. That title drought is the longest in the NHL. Babcock was brought to town to win that elusive title, and even after his departure, the Leafs were in contention when the NHL went dark due to the coronavirus a few weeks ago. Toronto is currently in third place in the Atlantic Division, with a record of 36-25-9, good for 81 points. They are 11 points out of second but just three points ahead of Florida in the division. If they were to fall out of third, the Leafs would be in danger, as both Carolina and Columbus have 81 points in the Metropolitan and currently hold the two wild cards in the Eastern Conference. If NHL futures are a part of your sports betting strategy, you’ll want to read about how the fortunes of the Leafs sit right now.
NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs 2019-20 Season Analysis
Ever since Sheldon Keefe took over for Babcock on November 20, the Leafs have gone 27-15-5. The reason they are still in third is their 9-10-4 start this season under Babcock. When the Leafs signed Mitchell Marner to a six-year deal back in September, it looked like the final piece was in place for the team to move forward. However, Babcock could not get the team working cohesively, and so the team moved on to the former coach of their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.
Offensive Analysis
Keefe emphasizes a high-octane style of play, which has led to big numbers for the team’s offensive leaders. Auston Matthews and William Nylander have each set career bests in goals, with 47 and 31, respectively. Zach Hyman has equaled his season best with 21. If Matthew keeps scoring at this rate, he will become the first Maple Leaf to break the 50-goal mark since Dave Andreychuk in the 1993-94 campaign.
Defensive Analysis
The inconsistencies of the Toronto defense garnered international attention on February 22, when Carolina visited Toronto. Carolina had both of their goalies go down during the game, and David Ayres, the emergency backup goalie for the Maple Leafs’ arena, had to suit up at the 11:19 mark of the second period. Normally a practice goalie for Toronto (and a Zamboni operator), Ayres gave up goals on the first two shots he faced, but the Leafs mysteriously stopped their offensive pressure and ended up giving up two more goals, losing 6-3. The fact that the Leafs could not stop Carolina even though they had little to lose by applying pressure.
Key Numbers & Key Players
William Nylander has garnered attention since he arrived in Toronto. His career high in goals was 22 — and he broke that way back on January 27. When the league went into shutdown, he was nearing a career best for points, as he had 59 and his career best was just two points higher. In prior years, Nylander has taken heat for hanging out in the corners and at the blue line, but this year he has been willing to head to the net and score the gritty goals. He is second on the team in goals behind Matthews. Nine of his goals have come with the man advantage, three behind Matthews for the team lead.
Playoffs panorama and Championship Odds
Toronto does not offer a lot of value, with +1000 odds to win the Stanley Cup. Given the talent elsewhere in the East, most notably Boston, Tampa Bay, Washington and Pittsburgh, it is hard to make an argument for Toronto to get out. While they have shown promise here and there, particularly since Keefe took over, the team does not seem ready to contend with a deep playoff run.
