Maple Leafs will win first Stanley Cup since 1967

TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs will win their first Stanley Cup since 1967 because they have their deepest roster in decades and a front office with a winning pedigree.

Forwards Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander, Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk and Patrick Marleau each scored at least 20 goals this season and will give opposing defenses fits in the playoffs.
Toronto has a 30-goal scorer on each of its top three lines; Matthews on the first, Kadri on the second, van Riemsdyk on the third, and opposing coaches will have a hard time deciding which one to target with their checking line.
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On defense, the Maple Leafs have puck-moving specialists Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner, who each reached the 50-point mark this season. Veteran Ron Hainsey, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, will be a key cog on the penalty kill.
Goalie Frederik Andersen was the team MVP in the regular season and will carry that play through four rounds of playoffs.

General manager Lou Lamoriello won the Stanley Cup three times with the New Jersey Devils (1995, 2000, 2003), coach Mike Babcock won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings (2008), two Olympic gold medals with Canada (2010, 2014), and helped Canada win the World Cup of Hockey (2016). Their experience will help the Maple Leafs navigate a long postseason run.
A confident Babcock feels his team can beat anyone when it's at its best, and it will.