Are you ready for some hockey? Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs sure are after a busy offseason that saw the addition of Garnett Exelby and Francois Beauchemin among others.
It seems like forever ago that the Pittsburgh Penguins lifted the Stanley Cup to end the 2008-09 NHL season. Since then there have been hundreds of transactions; we’ve gone through the entry draft, the free agent signings, the trades, the training camps, the preseason.
But now all the cuts have been made, and each team heads into the 2009-10 season with dreams of lifting the cup.
Not many teams had a busier offseason than the Toronto Maple Leafs. With new GM Brian Burke at the helm, many thought the Leafs would go into full rebuild mode and start from scratch. But Burke had other ideas; he decided to re-tool instead of re-build, and he went out and got two tough defensemen in Garnett Exelby and Francois Beauchemin and added even more toughness with Colton Orr and Wayne Primeau.
The defense looked beefed up and it was clear that this would be a tough team, but they needed help on offense. Brian Burke then made waves again, obtaining Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins for the Leafs’ 1st and 2nd round picks in 2010 and their first round pick in 2011. Giving up so much of the future for the young star forward further solidified Burke’s win-now attitude.
To open the season, the Maple Leafs play two tough Eastern Conference opponents.
Game 1: vs. Montreal Canadians
Thursday, Oct 1, 7:00 p.m. (ET)
After finishing the preseason up with an impressive 6-3 record, the Leafs turn their attention to the regular season Thursday night in the home opener against the Montreal Canadians. This is a game that I think the Leafs match up well in.
Montreal has a very talented team, but many of their most talented forwards are smaller players, and physicality isn’t a big part of their game. With the Maple Leaf’s new and improved bruising lineup, the Leafs should be able to overpower the Canadians and pick up a win in their home opener. They will probably be priced well as the Canadians are a bit overrated in my opinion.
Game 2:. at Washington Capitals
Saturday, Oct 3, 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Unlike the Montreal game, this is a game that the Maple Leafs likely won’t be able to throw their weight around in. Not only do the Capitals also play a physical brand of hockey, but I believe they simply have too many offensive weapons for the Leafs to keep up with. I don’t think Toronto will be able to shoot out with the better offensive teams like this one. Consider taking the Capitals, especially if the Leafs win the first game of the season to bring their number down a bit.
I believe the Maple Leafs will start their long season off 1-1 with a win at home to start things off and a loss on the road in Washington. After the Washington game, four of Toronto’s next five games will be at home, giving Burke’s team a chance to start the season off on the right foot and get the fans excited.
