Maple Leafs lead Canadian teams on NHL over/under point totals

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Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen. (Matt Slocum/CP)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have endured an off-season of change, parting ways with a number of key veterans, and have yet to come to terms on a new contract with restricted free agent forward Mitch Marner.

But while the Maple Leafs have plenty of work to do to prepare for the upcoming season, the club is expected to challenge for the top of the NHL standings in 2019/2020, sporting minus-115 odds of compiling over 101.5 points at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Toronto enjoyed another strong campaign this past season, finishing with 46 wins and reaching the 100-point mark in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history. However, with limited cap space available, general manager Kyle Dubas has been forced to make some hard decisions, parting ways with free agent defencemen Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey, and shipping forwards Patrick Marleau and Nazem Kadri out of town via trade.

The moves by Dubas have helped free up cap space to sign restricted free agent Mitch Marner, but the team and its leading scorer have yet to come to terms on a new deal, raising concerns about whether the 22-year-old will be in the lineup when the puck drops on the new season on October 2.

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The top team in the Western Conference standings last season with 107 points, the Calgary Flames are expected to take a step back next season, with an over/under point total of 96.5 at online betting sites. The Winnipeg Jets are also expected to see a drop in points for a third straight season, with an over/under of 95.5. Conversely, the Vancouver Canucks are projected to make major strides after winning just 35 games last season, with an over/under pegged at 90.5.

The Flames will return to action with their core largely intact after coming to terms on new deals with goaltender David Rittich and forward Sam Bennett, but will face increased competition in the Pacific Division, not only from Vancouver and Vegas, but also San Jose and a rapidly improving Arizona Coyotes squad.

The Jets face a major challenge in getting RFAs Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine signed to new contracts, and while the Canucks will benefit from the addition of veterans J.T. Miller and Micheal Ferland, RFA Brock Boeser remains unsigned.

One of the surprise stories of last season, the Montreal Canadiens face tempered expectations with an over/under point total of 88.5 on those NHL betting lines. The Edmonton Oilers hope to build on their 79-point campaign, and sport minus-115 odds of tallying over 85.5 points, while the Ottawa Senators are expected to finish in the NHL basement with a low over/under point total of 68.5.

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