The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to go in different directions again this season.
While the Habs are in the middle of a rebuild and will focus on drafting and developing, the Maple Leafs are priced as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
The Leafs have made the postseason seven years in a row and have been one of the league’s best regular-season teams since 2018, but they’ve won just one playoff round in that span and made some questionable roster moves in the summer.
For the first time in a handful of years, I think it’s fair to question if the Leafs — 10/1 to win the Stanley Cup at BetMGM — are as good as their odds suggest.
While the Leafs still have one of the league’s most dynamic attacks, the defense looks as if it could take a considerable step back.
A top-four of Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, John Klingberg and Jake McCabe feels suspect and the team’s goaltending situation is far from certain, too.
Those kind of flaws make the Leafs standout as a vulnerable favorite, especially when they’re laying a huge number against a speedy team like the Canadiens.
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Montreal’s lack of depth and inexperience will likely cause it to fall into the basement of the Atlantic Division over the course of an 82-game season, but this team’s speed and offensive upside should make it a pesky underdog, especially against teams with suspect defenses.
The Habs always seem to play the Maple Leafs well and with Toronto incorporating several new faces into its lineup it wouldn’t be a shock to see coach Martin St. Louis’ Canadiens pull the road upset on Wednesday night.
The play: Canadiens +240.
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