The Toronto Maple Leafs were a horrible team last year. They really gave some solid reasons for their nicknames – Toronto Make Beliefs, Toronto Maple Laughs, etc. The team finished last in the Eastern Conference and second last in the league. They were out of the race right from the start and were never able to pull a long enough winning streak together to have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. The 2010-11 season is a fresh start and the Maple Leafs should have a much better season. After all, the only way for them to go is up.
The Maple Leafs shook up their roster quite a bit near the end of last year and in the offseason. Some notable arrivals include Phaneuf, Giguere, Versteeg, Armstrong, MacArthur and Sjostrom. Giguere, along with Gustafsson, should help the Maple Leafs in goal – a position they lacked in last year with Toskala playing horribly. Nobody can deny that the Maple Leafs have one of the strongest defence corps in the league (they better spending over $28M), but this strenght has yet to translate onto the ice. The Leafs had the second most goals against last year and this will be a statistic that needs to change if the Maple Leafs hope to have a shot at the playoffs. The addition of Phaneuf and a healthy Komisarek should help in this respect, along with the big Giguere in net.
Burke decided to spend the majority of the teams payroll on defensemen and Giguere, which left only a little room to work with at forward. This has resulted in a forward lineup that will need to overachieve in order for the Leafs to succeed. Kessel, Kulemin and Versteeg will have to carry the load offensively and only time will tell if these players have what it takes to put the puck in the net enough for the Leafs to win games.
Bookmaker.com – Where the NHL lines originate!
Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Odds – September 30, 2010
The Maple Leafs odds to win the cup are currently +6000 at Bodog.com. These are the most favourable betting odds of our recommended online sportsbooks with a $100 wager winning $6000 if the Leafs pull off a miracle and win the Stanley Cup.
The division winners odds at Bookmaker.com are also very interesting with the Toronto Maple Leafs odds to win the Northeast currently listed at +3000. Therefore a $100 wager on the Leafs to win the division in the regular season would payout $3100.
Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Predictions
The Maple Leafs would have to pull off a miracle to win the Stanley Cup this season. They should be a lot better than last year and even have a shot at the playoffs, but I would need much better than +6000 odds to place a Stanley Cup wager on the Maple Leafs this season. There are simply too many good teams in the league.
That being said the +3000 Northeast Division winner line at Bookmaker.com doesn’t look half bad. The Northeast is a solid division, but it is really anyones to win, including the Maple Leafs. Every team in that division is good, but none are great. The Leafs may indeed have the worst shot of winning the division, but there is still an outside chance and +3000 odds look worth it to roll the dice in my opinion. Place your Maple Leafs division winner bet at Bookmaker.com!
Written By: Niko de Jonge
nhl • stanley cup • Toronto Maple Leafs