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Frank Doyle
Toronto Maple Leafs 2014-2015 Preview: Toronto Turns Over New Leaf
The Maple Leafs are promising major changes this season and how the team adapts to those changes will be the key to its success.
Toronto Maple Leafs 2014-2015 odds:
Will Maple Leafs make Stanley Cup playoffs? No -120
Over/under regular season points 88.5
What’s new
Who’s in
Roman Polak and a Stephane Robidas should provide some much-needed grit to the blue line while Leo Komarov, Petri Kontiola, Mike Santorelli, David Booth and Daniel Winnik will battle for time up front. Really like Komarov coming back to the team and Booth could be a bargain if he finds some chemistry with linemates.
Who’s out
Dave Bolland, Tim Gleason, Carl Gunnarsson, Nikolai Kulemin, Jay McClement, Paul Ranger and Mason Raymond are out of the picture. For better or worse, that’s a major turnover.
The skinny
Well, Brendan Shanahan is in charge as team president and he’s already made his mark on the team. Randy Carlyle remains as head coach, but the assistant coaches and GM were let go. This team will pay attention to analytics – finally – meaning the Leafs will worry if they’re getting outshot every night. It also means Carlyle won’t have two roster spots devoted to fighters on the fourth line anymore. That in itself should help the team’s depth and keep the forwards fresher down the playoff stretch.
Betting forecast
Jonathan Bernier is the key to Toronto’s success. He held the Leafs in games they had no business being in last year and could post excellent numbers if the players in front of him can cut down on the shots he faces. Toronto could be a sneaky underdog bet early in the year. The Leafs know there’s a new boss in town and they’re all playing with a short leash.
Overview
Well, it can’t get any worse, right? The Leafs were embarrassing to watch last year. They were a season or two behind the rest of the league in terms of schemes and strategies. While the rest of the league had moved toward a speed and puck-possession attack, the Leafs stuck with grit and size and ended up paying for it. They couldn’t keep up with anybody and chased the puck all over their own zone. Now, saying you’re going to change philosophies and actually doing it are two different things entirely. The Leafs may be on the right track, but may not have the personnel to play an up-tempo game.
Betting prediction
Toronto is a much better bet than it was last year and is in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season before just missing out. The Leafs are in a tough division and it will take time to adapt to a new game plan. This might be the last year we see Randy Carlyle behind the bench in Toronto.