Half of the forward group is brand new. Half of their top-four defense just went through their first home opener with the club. Goaltender Joseph Woll is beginning his first full season in the league. Off the ice, there are new assistant coaches and new management in place.
The Leafs have started 2-1-0, but they haven’t exactly played good positional hockey. It’s probably the best time to go on a five-game road trip, to be honest. They will be forced to defend more, and they are also playing against better teams in general. They also won’t be pushing needlessly for offense in front of their own fans, which led to a whole collection of Blackhawks odd-man rushes on the counterattack.