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2010/11 Toronto Maple Leafs Predictions – Odds – Season Preview

Shea Matthews weighs in with his 2010-2011 Toronto Maple Leafs Season Gambling Picks and NHL Preview, plus he provides the lastest NHL odds, Maple Leafs future lines, and Stanley Cup predictions…

2010-11 NHL Predictions/Previews: Toronto Maple Leafs

CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the 2010/11 NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!

The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs played a playoff game: spring 2004. That means the best-case scenario for Leaf fans is that the drought will end at seven years in spring 2011. But is a return to the playoffs realistic this year? Brian Burke worked hard in the offseason. While he made a few useful moves, he failed in other areas.

The Leafs look better on paper than last year’s squad. But does that necessarily make them a playoff team?

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Stanley Cup odds: +6000

Brian Burke wanted to build the Leafs from the net out and it at least appears like he’s done a good job in that regard. A healthier, more mature Jonas Gustavsson and Jean-Sebastien Giguere look like a much better goalie tandem than what Toronto started with a year ago: a rookie Gustavsson with heart problems and a putrid Vesa Toskala.

Gustavsson has his doubters but he has great size and athleticism; if he learns to stop overplaying the puck, he’ll be a goodie. Giguere is also one of the best possible models to learn from in the crease. While he’s past his prime, he’s always been a great technical goalie with outstanding positioning. After posting a 2.49 goals against average and .916 save percentage upon arriving in Toronto last season, Jiggy will open 2010-11 as the starter, but this should be almost a 50/50 split between the two goalies.

In theory, the Leafs should have one of the best, deepest blue lines in hockey this year. They fleeced Calgary last winter, shipping a pile of dead weight to acquire Dion Phaneuf. The bruising defender (and new Leaf captain) wore out his welcome in Calgary but is still just 25 years old; that’s quite young considering that big defenders often mature late (see: Chris Pronger, Zdeno Chara).

With puck mover Tomas Kaberle joining solid minutes eaters like Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and Carl Gunnarsson, not to mention youngster Luke Schenn, the Leafs look like they’ll do a better job keeping pucks out of their net this season.

But the burning question is whether or not they’ll put enough pucks in the net. In Phil Kessel, they have one truly elite goal scorer. He has a sniper’s release and scored 30 goals in 70 games on a horrific Toronto team as a 22-year-old last season. If that doesn’t convince you that he’s the real deal, nothing will. However, after Kessel, the Leafs don’t have much.

First-line center Tyler Bozak looks like he’ll be a solid two-way forward; same goes for underrated winger Nikolai Kulemin. Kris Versteeg was a nice acquisition too. But, as respectable as these guys are, they’re second-liners or great third liners on a championship NHL team (Versteeg literally was last year). In Toronto, they’ll be depended upon as front-line players.

With Nazem Kadri failing to make the team, the rest of Toronto’s offensive potential at forward is frighteningly thin. Outside of Hogtown, most hockey fans and bettors have likely never heard of Mike Brown, John Mitchell or Tim Brent. Yet all those names look like they’ll crack the Leafs’ opening night lineup.

The 2010-11 Toronto Maple Leafs look like a better group than last year’s unit. They’ll be annoying to play against and competitive enough to keep the eighth playoff berth in the East within shouting distance. But I just don’t think they’ll score enough to reach the postseason. Not unless Burke convinces Kaberle to waive his no-trade clause and ships him for a legitimate first-line forward.

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