Growing Pains wasn’t only a sitcom from the mid-80s. It’s something we see annually in the NHL. Max Domi, Sam Bennett, Dylan Larkin and Shayne Gostisbehere were among the young stars whose production took a significant dip in 2016-17 following tremendous rookie campaigns the year prior.
When the regular season begins next week, sophomore slumps will be top of mind for many Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
The rising Atlantic Division contenders were one of the feel-good teams last year in large part due to their contingent of talented rookies. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Nikita Zaitsev, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown each played important roles and will be counted to do so against this season.
Sportsnet.ca’s Rory Boylen and Mike Johnston joined host Rob Wong on the Sportsnet Hot Stove Saturday morning to discuss the expectations surrounding this burgeoning Maple Leafs roster.
“I’ve been on record saying I think they’re going to be one of the top 3-4 teams in the Eastern Conference this year,” Wong said. “That’s how excited I am about this squad … If you’re going to try to shut down Auston Matthews and William Nylander, go for it because there’s still going to be the Nazem Kadri line, there’s still going to be the Mitch Marner line. The depth up front is going to be so terrifying that I don’t think you can shut down this Leafs team on a night-to-night basis.”
How the young forwards perform could become a moot point if the team gets bitten by the injury bug or fails to get the quality goaltending they did in the second half of the 2016-17 campaign.
“Remember, they were so healthy last year, and that’s something that maybe catches up with them this year,” said Boylen, who will co-host Hockey Central Saturday on the Sportsnet radio network from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET every Saturday night during the NHL season beginning Oct. 7. “How many years can a team go consecutively being as healthy as the Leafs were last year? If something were to happen to Freddy Andersen they’re in a lot of trouble then because I don’t think anybody trusts Curtis McElhinney to take this team very far.”
Andersen played a career-high 66 games in his first season with the Maple Leafs with Curtis McElhinney being his primary backup in the second half of the season. It will be the same tandem in the crease once again.
“Auston Matthews and all the rookies, they got the shine [last season]. To me, the MVP of the Leafs was Frederik Andersen,” Johnston added. “They don’t make the playoffs without Frederik Andersen.”
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