Fansided

5 reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs can win the Stanley Cup

By Simon Vacca

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 25: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs take the ice before playing the Florida Panthers during the first period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 25, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 25: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs take the ice before playing the Florida Panthers during the first period at the Scotiabank Arena on March 25, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 07: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Jake Gardiner (51) in warmups prior to the regular season NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs on January 7, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 07: Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Jake Gardiner (51) in warmups prior to the regular season NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs on January 7, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. The threat of a healthy lineup

For many, worry is grounded in the degree to which the Leafs’ success is predicated on Ron Hainsey, Jake Gardiner, Nikita Zaitsev and Travis Dermott getting a measure of consistency going.

The former is trusted by head coach Mike Babcock to clock in tough minutes, but the extent of his deployment has been cause for concern among the talk circuit of the hockey world. When last season’s playoffs came around, the then-37-year-old had broken a league record for the highest single season penalty kill TOI%. That, coupled with the fact that the Gardiner and Zaitsev duo are known for playing a high-risk, high-reward style — as well as Dermott’s practical, albeit sheltered utilization — has left several facets of the club’s fanbase feeling anxious about the organization’s current D-core.

But the threat of a healthy lineup certainly helps to alleviate concerns of this nature.

Make no mistake: the 2018-19 campaign has been largely positive in spite of the reality that a host of individuals may regard it as a primarily joyless one. Often omitted from the sweeping narrative is the fact that the team has had to work without numerous key roster players — and at times, some of its most prized assets — for the overwhelming majority of games.

With the likes of Gardiner, Dermott and victims of a flu bug set to return from injury, the Leafs will finally be in a position to ice a full lineup — surely a daunting thought for any of its opponents. But what is the Buds’ strongest facet?

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