It is with fair and preemptive warning that we present the results of ESPN’s way-too-early power rankings. You’re right, it has been only weeks since the Florida Panthers lifted the Stanley Cup, although with the draft and free agency rushes in the rearview, it may seem longer.
In any event, ESPN ranked the Toronto Maple Leafs as the 10th-best team in the NHL. Here is ESPN’s rationale:
The Leafs have been a consistently great regular-season hockey team in recent campaigns — and then the playoffs roll around. Although much of the on-ice personnel remains in place from last season — including all of the “Core Four,” in spite of Mitch Marner trade rumors — the club did make a coaching change, subbing in Craig Berube for Sheldon Keefe, as well as investing in veteran defensemen Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Will it be enough?
Will it be enough?! In spite of Mitch Marner trade rumours? Anyways, putting the more inflammatory particulars of the writeup aside, the Maple Leafs ranked one spot behind the Vancouver Canucks, two spots behind the new-and-improved Nashville Predators and three spots behind the Boston Bruins.
ESPN highlighted Tanev and Ekman-Larsson as potential reasons for improvement. Tanev is the shutdown defenceman Toronto has long yearned for and it appears likely that he’ll slot in alongside Morgan Rielly, while Ekman-Larsson dominated bottom-six forwards and will have to play an elevated role with the Maple Leafs. As for the coaching change, Berube’s Cup-winning credentials certainly appealed to Brad Treliving and Brendan Shanahan and perhaps we’ll see a more pragmatic, defensively-inclined team take the ice next fall.
Marner, who has no desire to waive his no-movement clause, still very much remains with the Maple Leafs and his camp appears inclined to enter next season without an extension. Although he’s been subject to rampant trade speculation, he’s still an excellent playmaker and defensive presence for a Maple Leafs team that desperately needs a breakthrough.
Florida is still ranked as the No. 1 team in the league and really, the defending champions are a tier above everyone else. What do you think of ESPN’s way-too-early rankings?
