2026-27 Thread

Watched the two games tonight. Giveaways and takeaways.

In Ottawa, a spunky team of 4th liners and Marlies, with Stolarz in net, played their hearts out. You gotta love Landon Sim. He had two fights and handled himself quite nicely. I can see that guy as a future energy guy, making life miserable for the opposition. Sure, he doesn’t score much, but the energy and skating make him a great player to come up and help bust a slump. Stolarz looked sharp. Noah Chadwick made a bad blunder that cost them a goal. He still needs a lot of seasoning. Ben Danford was a monster out there. Great positionally and good at keeping the puck in on the pinch. Physically, he’s ready. I see this guy trending upwards quickly. He may be in the Leafs lineup after Christmas if there’s an injury. There’s lots to like about this guy. He could be the Leafs’ next Tanev.

In Toronto, that wasn’t even close. Bob was great in net. Matthews looks renewed. MacKewen stood out as a player trying to make the cut. McKenna was dishing the puck and could have gotten 4 assists. That line of Willy, JT, and McKenna looks lethal. Knies looked tentative out there. He looked a bit slow. He definitely needs to knock off the rust. I’m not sure what happened to Nick Paul. Easton Cowan was on the puck all night and stood out with his complete game. I see a big year coming for Cowan. If the Leafs stay healthy, they should get into the playoffs.

The media. Craig Button is a buffoon. He predicts the Leafs will be no higher than 6th in the Atlantic. If the Leafs have major injuries, that could happen. Let’s look at the Atlantic. I expect some slippage from Tampa, as they age and some of their talent leaves for greener pastures. Montreal looks really good, but lacks the physical prowess to win a Cup with their current roster. Buffalo lost some talent, and their goaltending is suspect, but they are very good. Ottawa looks discombobulated without Brady leading the charge. They do have some great young players and a solid defense, but lack leadership. Detroit has talent, but the Larkin dark cloud is causing a rift in the dressing room. Boston really hasn’t improved much and may have regressed. Florida got stronger, but they also got older. Their goaltending isn’t as good without Bob, but getting back some of their core forwards from injuries and picking up Brady makes them contenders again.

Atlantic Prediction:

1. Montreal
2. Florida
3. Tampa
4. Buffalo
5. Toronto
6. Ottawa
7. Boston
8. Detroit

Thoughts?