By now you've probably heard all the talk about the Maple Leafs finally being a Cup contender since 2013. That game 7 was almost 4 years ago and it's still a touchy subject.
It's 2017 and the Maple Leafs have made some drastic changes to their team. Here's a comparison between the 2013 Leafs and the 2017 Leafs.
2013 2017
Forwards Forwards
Tyler Bozak Zach Hyman
Mike Brown Auston Matthews
Mikhail Grabovski Connor Brown
Nazem Kadri James van Riemsdyk
Phil Kessel Tyler Bozak
Leo Komarov Mitch Marner
Nikolai Kulemin Leo Komarov
Joffrey Lupul Nazem Kadri
Clarke McCarthur i William Nylander
Jay McClement Matt Martin
Colton Orr Ben Smith
David Steckel Nikita Soshnikov
James Van Riemsdyk
Defence Defence
Cody Franson Morgan Rielly
Mark Fraser Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Gardiner Jake Gardiner
Carl Gunnarson Connor Carrick
Korbinian Holzer Roman Polak
Mike Komisarek Matt Hunwick
Mike Kostika Martin Marincin
John-Michael Liles
Dion Phaneuf
Goalies Goalies
James Reimer Frederic Andersen
Ben Scrivens Curtis McElhinney
Our team has gotten younger and way more talented. Look at the line improvements. As of now, we have 3 superstar worthy rookies playing on DIFFERENT lines and that can be changed in a heartbeat if Mike Babcock needs some quick offence.
The game against Boston where he put Matthews, Kadri, and Nylander on the same line was a perfect example of how dangerous the line combinations can be. Imagine a line with Marner, Matthews, and Nylander. THAT LINE COULD WREAK HAVOC for the other team. The fact that we can continue to win with these rookies on different lines just shows you the amount of depth this team has offensively. We certainly cannot leave out Brown, Hyman, and Soshnikov. These players are the ones who fight tooth and nail to get the puck and once they get it, they won't give it back and they compliment their centres perfectly.
4 years ago, if the JVR, Kessel, and Bozak line couldn't score, we would lose. But now, each line gets hot on different nights and spread the wealth.
Enough about the rookies.
How about the revitalized veterans?
There are 6 players (including Joffrey Lupul) who were on this team in 2013. Oh, how they have changed their image. Bozak is one of the best face off guys in the league, James van Riemsdyk is on a career goal pace, Nazem Kadri is in the conversation for a Selke, Leo Komarov continues to antagonize, and Jake Gardiner is now a veteran presence at the ripe age of 26. These players are the ones who are meant to guide the rookies but they still want to be recognized as valuable pieces to this team.
And they sure are.
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