Dion Phaneuf and the Leafs should be braced for a long season. (Photo credit: © Bridget Samuels)
Yahoo! Sports Puck Daddy is doing a great job producing NHL season previews of all 30 teams.
We thought we’d paraphrase a bit of what they had to say about the Canadian squads and apply it to the NHL betting odds to see if there’s any value out there on any of our favourite teams.
For the full Toronto Maple Leafs season preview, you can read the Puck Daddy article here.
Better or Worse?
As bad as things got in Toronto last season, there’s potential for them to be even worse. Yeah, the Leafs hired coach Mike Babcock, but they dealt perennial 30-plus goal man Phil Kessel for prospects. Key players like Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul are another year older as well.
The Leafs’ over/under wins total for this season is listed at 32 at Pinnacle Sports.
Players To Watch
Goaltender Jonathan Bernier signed a two-year contract over the summer so perhaps he won’t feel as much pressure to perform this year, but he’ll have to post better numbers than his .911 save percentage and 2.87 GAA from last year. Nazem Kadri also needs to improve, and there are question marks about Dion Phaneuf and Tyler Bozak as well. Morgan Reilly’s development is one of the few bright spots the Leafs have to look forward to.
We’re keeping our eyes open for Hart Trophy betting odds, Vezina Trophy betting odds and Norris Trophy odds. Not that any of the Leafs are a smart bet for these awards.
Coaching
There might not be a safer coach in the NHL than Babcock, who signed an eight-year deal worth a reported $50 million this summer. The contract means he earns more than double what the next coach (Joel Quenneville in Chicago) makes, so there’s not much question who will win any power struggle between players and coach.
Best Case Scenario
Normally, the best case scenario would mean a lot of victories. In the Leafs’ case, bottoming out for a better chance at the No. 1 draft pick is probably the ideal situation. With Babcock, Lou Lamoriello and Brendan Shanahan now in charge, Leafs’ fans will be more content to wait out a complete rebuild.
Toronto pays +2000 to win the Atlantic Division at Bodog, ahead of only the Buffalo Sabres (+2200).
Worst Case Scenario
The Leafs aren’t able to dump Phaneuf and/or Lupul, still end up with the worst record in the NHL and don’t win the draft lottery. Lack of development by Bozak, Kadri, Reilly and Bernier would also be a problem in Hogtown.
The Leafs are rock bottom on the Eastern Conference betting odds at Bodog, paying +5000 to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Prediction
The Leafs will be among the NHL’s bottom-feeders once again, but they’ll show some signs of improvement under Babcock. Kadri and Bernier will emerge as potential building blocks, and Toronto will finally commit to a complete and total rebuild.
Sports Interaction lists the Maple Leafs as +8000 (80:1) on the Stanley Cup betting odds.
