2016-17 Leafs Preview: Standings Predictions

Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY SPORTS

Hockey’s back.

The season gets going tonight for the Leafs in Ottawa, and that means we need to tidy some things up here at the site, including passing along our final standings predictions. I mean, we’ve covered this team in detail all summer, but the standings seem sort of important, do they not? 

Some of us may be overconfident in our outlook for this group, others are perhaps terrified of predicting any kind of success. But either way, we all have opinions on what kind of season this is going to be for the ol’ blue-and-white before real life proves us right or wrong.

For the purposes of keeping this concise, and due to our very real east coast bias, I asked the staff to pass along their Eastern Conference standings in full and explain why they had the Leafs slotted wherever they settled upon. 

1. Pittsburgh

2. Washington

6. NY Islanders

3. Florida

4. Tampa Bay

5. Montreal

7. Flyers

8. Hurricanes

9. Rangers

10. Bruins

12. Devils

13. Sabres

14. Detroit

15. Ottawa

16. Columbus

The teams that are clearly shaping up to take the Atlantic division are the two Florida-based teams. I put Florida ahead of Tampa Bay because I think their defense is better, while having comparable goaltending. The other 6 teams are reasonably close. I think the addition of Radulov and a healthy Price will take Montreal back to being a playoff team. The Bruins and Leafs are pretty equal here, with the Leafs defense being superior but Bruins having the better goaltending, and probably a better forward group for right now. The Sabres follow closely behind with growth from their young forwards, but I don’t think Lehner is a great starter for them and their defense still worries me with giving Josh Gorges big minutes. Lastly, Ottawa and Detroit have only gotten worse since last year, and they weren’t very good then either. I have them above Ottawa simply because Mrazek is a very good netminder.

DOM LUSZCZYSZYN

JEFF VEILLETTE

9. Montreal 

10. NY Rangers 

11. Ottawa

12. Boston

13. New Jersey

14. Buffalo

15. Detroit

16. Columbus

The Toronto Maple Leafs are squeaking in. People point to last year’s team being a last place team, but fail to remember that the team suffered the 10th-worst shooting percentage of any team in the past decade and had horribly inconsistent goaltending throughout the season. While they weren’t close to competing, their puck luck was pure Worst Case Ontario despite being a top-half adjusted possession team.

The new group is improved, too. The big three kids give the Leafs a huge injection into their top six, the already existent core is a bit more mature, and their depth veterans aren’t slouches. A team that had just one right-handed defender to start 2015/16 now has three good ones that are 25 years old or younger. While Frederik Andersen looked shaky in his post-injury preseason games, he and Enroth should bring some stability.

Combine that with the fact that every team in the Atlantic Division outside of the Florida clubs has some level of uncertainty attached to them, and this is a situation ripe for Toronto’s taking. Let’s not talk rings yet, but the renaissance may be coming sooner than advertised.

9. Carolina

10. NY Rangers

11. Boston

13. Ottawa

14. Buffalo

15. Detroit

16. Columbus

I really can’t predict the Leafs are going to make up about 27 points from last year and get into the playoffs this season. I mean, I want to do it, but I can’t, even with the Atlantic division being a complete shit show. It’s just too steep of a hill to climb.

Toronto will improve in basically every way, I believe that. They’ll be a strong possession team again but with added scoring, and they’ll be one of the funnest teams in the league to watch. Unfortunately it’ll only be enough to bring them a few spots up the table from where they were a year ago. They’re just not there yet, the roster is too raw. 

84 points got the Devils 12th in the conference last season. That’s where the Leafs finish in 2016-17, which would be a fifteen point improvement. 

The Leafs Nation and Auto Canada want to give you a $10,000 NHL experience for four in Las Vegas! Enter your fantasy hockey team for FREE at nationdrafts.com and compete against readers across the Nation Network for your chance to win. Just pick your players from each draft box and make weekly trades to better your chances. Enter your team now at nationdrafts.com!