Nope. No excitement here.

I mean, they were first in the North last year and they didn't get much worse, if at all (depending on how their new additions pan out, they could even be better).

Maybe not "excellent" but good to very good.

Agreed. 3 thoughts though:
-Ritchie is as slow as molasses...I can't see him lasting on the first line, but crazier things have happened. I've seen him play a lot, and he'll give you 5 games where he's impressive, then vanish for the next 10-15. I'd put the over/under on "Get rid of Ritchie!" trade threads at about 12 games in.
-Campbell is probably going to see his numbers regress a bit. Those were pretty prolific numbers.
-I'm not convinced the bottom 6 are going to be able to provide enough depth here. Regular season though? Sure.

If Ritchie was "gritty" I'd agree but any player that hits is a fan favourite in Toronto.

Agree on Campbell.

The bottom 6 could be good but chances are you are right.

Yeah, the issue with Ritchie though is that he will hit, but then all of the sudden he won't. When he's being physical and going to the net, he's solid. When he's not (Which happens on a regular basis), he's terribly frustrating. He's very David Clarkson-ish, unfortunately. Ducks fan here...I've seen him at his best, and at his worst.

Lol Ofc, leafs are always good in reg season and that’s about it

Lets take a look at last years regular lineup as opposed to the projected lineup for the upcoming Leafs team:

Last Years Team:


Hyman - Matthews - Marner
Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander
Engvall - Kerfoot - Mikheyev
Thornton - Brooks - Spezza

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Bogosian

Campbell
Andersen

This Years Projected Lineup:

Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Ritchie - Tavares - Nylander
Kerfoot - Kampf - Kase
Mikheyev / Simmonds - Brooks - Spezza

Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Sandin - Dermott

Campbell
Mrazek

Comparing Adds and Loses

Hyman > Bunting - Hyman was the largest lose this past offseason, so it's not a shock that his "replacement" is not yet as good as he was. Bunting is a very intriguing player who can evidently play with top end talent and produce. His history with both Dubas and Keefe is an interesting dynamic. He should be a very nice add to the top 6.

Ritchie > Galchenyuk - At 6'3, 220+ lbs, it's obvious Ritchie is better than Galchenyuk. Pair that was his good scoring ability and large netfront presence, Ritchie is a definite upgrade over Galchenyuk, who had brief flashes of creative offensive skills, but lacked when it came to defending.

Kase + Kampf > Engvall + Mikheyev (On the third line) - If Kase is healthy (which all signs point to him being), he is easily a top 6 winger on any other team. Kampf is a good shutdown center, something the Leafs have been searching for for quite some time. Now that we have a genuine shutdown center, Kerfoot can stop being miscast as that and play in a more offensive role. Engvall should either start the season as a healthy scratch or as a part of the Marlies, while Mikheyev likely finds himself on the fourth line. Kampf is very hardworking and will surprise a lot of people, and a return to form for Kase could potentially make his contract one of this offseason's best.

Mikheyev (On the fourth) / Simmonds > Thornton - While Thornton had a good start to last season, his point totals are severely skewed due to playtime with Matthews and Marner. At the end of last season, Thornton's play was unbearable and made this team worse. Although playing with Brooks seemed to bring some energy back to his game, both Mikheyev and Simmonds are better options at this point.

Sandin > Bogosian - While Sandin's introduction to the lineup in the ladder half of last season saw Dermott benched instead of Bogosian, the loss of Bogo is easily supplemented by Sandin, and even Dermott for that matter. Bogosian was surprising good last year as a third pairing guy, but the younger Sandin needs to be part of this lineup after some very good play last year, and Dermott continues to get better. Bringing Mennell into the team's system will only put more pressure on Dermott to perform, as Mennell has the potential to steal Dermott's spot in the lineup.

Mrazek > Andersen - At this point in their careers, Mrazek is the better starter. Andersen has dealt with some injuries in the last few seasons, as evident by his play, but so has Mrazek and his numbers have been great. We now have two incredibly reliable goalies, and if one is off of their game, we have another goalie we can rely on.

Considering the only offseason loss of significance is the departure of Hyman, this team has only gotten better, so yes, this team is better than last year's. Not only is it better in the regular season, but also the post season.

You dont even have Bunting in the lineup.