2014-2015 Review

Things seemed to be going according to plan early in the season, before an 11 game losing streak derailed the team. The team went from a winning record to a losing record and never fully recovered. The major cause of concern was the Leafs 3.1 GAA as they saw their defense completely disintegrate by the end of the year. They ended up winning only 30 games and got the fourth pick in the NHL draft.

New Additions

Mike Babcock

The longtime Detroit Red Wings coach went to Toronto because he wanted the challenge. The teams Babcock has coached on all had superb defenses, so it’ll be interesting what he does on that front. During his time with Anaheim and Detroit, Babcock has coached Rob Niedermayer, Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall among plenty of other capable defenders. Babcock should be able to find another great in Toronto.

Key Losses

Phil Kessel

While Kessel was the team leader in points with 61, he also had the worst +/- with a -34 rating. Kessel has been successful offensively with the Leafs, but could never translate that offensive production into actual wins. In Pittsburg, he will no longer have to be the man and will have better center play in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Biggest Strength

Goaltending

Despite terrible play in front of him, Jonathan Bernier has continued to play well. In his two seasons with the Leafs, Bernier has put up a .923 and .912 save percentages. While the team averaged 3.1 goals given up a game last year, he had a 2.87 GAA. With Babcock coming in to help the defense, Bernier should have less shots to save and less opposing chances to deal with.

Biggest Weakness

Defense

There is no excuse for giving up more than 3 GPG in a season. Top minute getters Dion Phaneuf and Roman Polak had +/-s double digits in the negative. Everything else snowballed from there, and talented young defenders Jake Gardiner and Morgan Rielly underperformed. Stephane Robidas is possibly a hall of famer, but at 38 he is not the player he was in his prime. Martin Marincin has a chance to play his first full season this year on a defense that can use more quality players.

Bottom Line

Mike Babcock will make the team better; the question is only how quickly he will do it. There are a few star players on the team, like James Van Riemsdyk that he can work with but the team as a whole has too many holes. They still have to figure out who will play on that top line with him, with Joffrey Lupul and Tyler Bozak both having disappointing seasons last year. Jonathan Bernier has superstar ability, and at the age of 27 is now entering his prime. At best, maybe the team can make a late playoff push, but it is more likely that the team will be getting another top 5 pick this season.

Fantasy Slant

Most Overrated: Dion Phaneuf

He has not lived up to expectations since he entered Toronto. In his five full seasons with the leafs, he only had one positive +/- season and has a total of -27 +/- in Toronto. He also does not put up much production offensively, as he only has one 40 point season with the Leafs. Last year, he only had three goals and had a 2.2 shooting percentage to go along with 108 Penalty Minutes. With Babcock at the helm, he may see a decrease in minutes as well.

Most Underrated: James Van Riemsdyk

This is Van Riemsdyk’s year to do something special. With Phil Kessel gone and Joffrey Lupul having injury problems, Van Riemsdyk has the chance to be the Leafs primary goal scorer. Last year, he put up 56 points and scored 27 goals while having to share space with Kessel. With Kessel gone, Van Riemsdyk will get more time on the ice and with the puck. He already has a 30 goal season under his belt, and there is no reason why Van Riemsdyk will not be one of the top goal scorers by the end of the season.

Biggest Surprise: Jonathan Bernier

While playing behind bad defense, Bernier still but up good stats the last two seasons. With Babcock at the helm, Bernier should get better defense as the season goes on, which means that he will peak at the end of the season. That means come playoff time for fantasy hockey, Bernier will be at his best. He is worth getting as a back up and waiting for his numbers to eventually get up to elite levels.