The Toronto Maple Leafs start the season against the Montreal Canadiens with both teams entering the year with opposite perspectives on what success will look like. The Maple Leafs enter the season with one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference and are eyeing their first Stanley Cup title since 1967 while the Canadiens had the worst record in the NHL last year and are hoping to start the rebuild out on the right foot. Both teams look to make a statement in the Atlantic Division and start the year on the right foot with an opening night win.
The Maple Leafs have a great roster but are well aware of their Stanley Cup drought and playoff drought and hope to end both this season. The team will rely on the offense which scored 3.80 goals per game last year as it was carried by Hart Trophy winner Auston Matthews who scored a league-leading 60 goals and 46 assists. Along with Matthews, the offense is carried by Mitch Marner and William Nylander, who combined for 69 goals and 108 assists and led the top two lines of the forward unit.
While the offense looks to be one of the best in the league, the defense hopes to improve after allowing 3.07 goals per game last season. Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie fueled the top two lines but the rest of the defense struggled and the hope is the rest of the unit can step up if the Maple Leafs are going to make a run at the Stanley Cup. Moreover, the Maple Leafs will replace both their goaltenders from last se ason and hope that Matt Murray can step up in the net after having a .906 save percentage and a 3.05 goals-against average on 640 shots with the Ottawa Senators last season.