Maple Leafs Revealed to Have One Big Advantage Over Divisional Rivals Next Season

With the NHL season fast approaching, speculation is running high about how teams will stack up -- and for the Leafs fans, how the Atlantic Division looks on paper.

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, there is a degree of uncertainty regarding how the team will do without superstar Mitch Marner, now in Vegas.

A recent TSN feature -- Summer Talent Tiers: Centres, indicates that the Leafs may hold a significant advantage over many of their divisional rivals: their depth down the middle of the ice.

According to TSN's rankings, the Maple Leafs' centres were placed in Tier 1, alongside other divisional teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, making them one of the top groups down the middle in the Atlantic Division, and league-wide.

There's a clear distinction between teams with elite centre depth and those without, and Toronto finds itself firmly in the top tier.

A fully healthy Auston Matthews leading the way is a game-changer, especially with the addition of Nicolas Roy to slot in as the Leafs' third-line centre, taking away some of the tougher matchups and defensive zone assignments from Matthews.

Florida and Tampa Bay may also feature Tier 1 centre groups, but it's hard to argue that either team can match the Maple Leafs' one-two punch of a healthy Matthews and a sub-$5M John Tavares.

Beyond that, Toronto's overall depth down the middle, strengthened by Roy, and 2024-25 deadline addition Scott Laughton, give them a major edge over the weaker divisional rivals, like the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and Montreal Canadiens, all of whom were ranked lower on TSN's tier list.

With Matthews and Tavares anchoring the top two lines and Roy and Laughton providing stability in the bottom six, it's arguable that the Leafs have the most complete centre group from top to bottom in the NHL heading into next season, giving them a big advantage.