I’m far more concerned about their goaltending

The goaltending can't be worse than last year. The underlying numbers weren't good. They are taking a big gamble, that's for sure! Huge.

I dont know, in some cases you're comparing 20-21 players and their stats to their 22-23 replacements. And in some places you're overlooking why a guy like Lyubushkin was brought in and whther his "type" of game was replaced.

Mikheyev and Kase both put up good pts last year, and while Jarnkrot is a capable replacement, NAK and Gaudette are not top 9 forwards who could replace those minutes or production. But there is hope in robertson getting back to a top 50 nhl prospect to aid in the offense.

While Giordano still has some game, added to brodie and muzzin, thats alot of age on defense and alot of hope that Liljegren and Sandin, who were 7th and 8th in icetime among Leafs dmen last year, can step up and take on more minutes. Maybe they can, but thats no sure thing. Ultimately what made Lyubushkin a top 4 dman in his limited time in Toronto, wasnt replaced. And the ready now defensive depth of oldman Benn and a guy who is a never-was in Mete doesn;t inspire on a team full of old dmen. And of the moves made in just the last 2 seasons, the teams weakness is seemingly about size, physicality, "grit" as Dubas has brought in Foligno, Nash, Kurtis Gabriel, Lyubushkin, giordano, Curtis, Clifford, etc...

And while collectively Jarnkrot, NAK, Gaudette are nice additions, I'm not sure they can deliver what the Leafs are missing.

Many Leaf fans will disagree on what this team doesn;t have: in the past its been a defensive system, forwards helping the defense, the defense was porous, the goaltending bad, not enough grit/physicality, etc.... its almost always a different reason why a regular season powerhouse cant progress in the playoffs.

To me, the Leafs just arent a good "team". They have amazing high end forwards, but the 3rd and 4th lines are comparatively weak. 22-23 3rd and 4th lines: Kampf is a nice defensive pivot, but as a 3rd line center, he just isnt a factor in the offense/NAK and Simmonds both provide some grit and physicality but neither can or should play 3rd line/Gaudette, Anderson and Clifford are all 13th/14th forwards on a good team. The team system is all about offense and they win lots of 5-4, 4-3 games. (COL had 3 good lines and rolled to the cup while missing a top 6 forward and a top 4 dman, because they had a team.)

Ultimately going into 22-23, I'm not sure the defense or forward corps defense is good enough to cover for what will probably sink the team this year: the goaltending. Theres a huge reason both were available and it has all to do with struggles over a period of time. Even if one of them plays average, that'll be over expectations. But really in the offensive system Toronto plays I can see the goalies needing to be awesome for the Leafs to really make an impact in the playoffs.