3 bold predictions for the Toronto Maple Leafs

In the 2022-23 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally made it past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2004. The 2023-24 Maple Leafs are loaded with talent and are ready to compete among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. This team has the potential to unload scary offense. They have solid goaltending, and their defense has more depth than last year.

The Leafs lost a few significant players in the offseason, including Michael Bunting, Alexander Kerfoot, and Noel Acciari. Notable transactions in the offseason include Auston Matthews signing a four-year extension effective in 2024-25, Ilya Samsonov re-signing for one year, and Max Domi, John Klingberg, and Tyler Bertuzzi signing as free agents all for one year.

What will the 2023-24 season bring? Here are three bold predictions for the 2023-24 Maple Leafs.

3. The Maple Leafs will win the Atlantic Division

The Maple Leafs are a contender for the Atlantic Division title and the Stanley Cup. In the past decade since the Maple Leafs have been a part of the Atlantic Division, the only time they won their division was in the 2020-21 season. That year, the team was actually part of the North Division during the COVID-shortened season. In 2022-23, they were second in their division. 2023-24 can be the year the Maple Leafs win the Atlantic Division.

The Maple Leafs are stacked with talent. The Hockey News ranked them as having the best top-six forward group in the NHL. Their top six include Tyler Bertuzzi (LW), Auston Matthews (C), Mitch Marner (RW), Matthew Knies (LW), John Tavares (C), and William Nylander (RW). Last season, Matthews and Nylander scored 40 goals, Tavares scored 36 goals, and Marner put up 99 points. The Leafs signed John Klingberg during the offseason to strengthen their defense. Ilya Samsonov looks to follow up a 27-win season between the pipes, and Joseph Woll factors in as the No. 2 goalie this season.

What competition does Toronto face in their division? The Boston Bruins had a phenomenal regular season last year. There was simply no catching them on their ridiculous, historical campaign to win 65 regular season games. Their first-round loss to the Florida Panthers in the playoffs was shocking and disappointing. They lost a lot of crucial players over the summer, including captain Patrice Bergeron. This won’t be the same team as last year.

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are the other teams in the mix for the Atlantic Division title. The wild card Panthers made it to the Stanley Cup Final last year in an incredible playoff run where they knocked out the mighty Bruins. The Lightning lost their first-round match-up last season, but they’ve been to the Stanley Cup Final three times in the last four years, winning back-to-back Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. Despite their competition, the Maple Leafs can win their division this season. It’s their time to shine.