Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Bold Predictions for the 2021-22 season

The Toronto Maple Leafs are ready to drop the puck on another season as they try to find some measure of success going into the 2021-22 season.

Going into their 105th season in franchise history, the expectations for the Toronto Maple Leafs remain high but they definitely have some work to do to win back a section of the fanbase.

Losing to the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs isn’t something many will get over quickly and at this rate, the Leafs could finish with the best record this season and there would still be a lack of trust in this team. This is why it will take more than 82 games for this team to get over the narrative they have built up over the last few years.

They are returning to the Atlantic Division where they will take on the Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Panthers regularly while the Boston Bruins will also be a challenge if everything goes right for them. Maybe this is the type of challenge they need to go up against to be better prepared for the playoffs?

There are some questions that will need to be answered this season but for now, we’ll look to make some bold predictions.

Auston Matthews sets new Toronto Maple Leafs single-season goal record

This might not be seen as a bold prediction but given his wrist injury, Auston Matthews might take some time to get his game going.

Even while injured, Matthews put up 41 goals in 52 games and when he makes his season debut, don’t be surprised if he comes out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Really, the only thing stopping him from getting 50, heck even 60 goals has been the time Matthews has missed because of injury.

For now, we will comfortably say that Matthews can get at least 55 goals but at this rate, 60 shouldn’t be out of the question especially if he feels more comfortable in his ability to handle the puck with his wrist not an issue.