The year will be fun as so much can play out. Leafs could potentially be competitive shortly now that we have Babcock and keep Phaneuf and Kessel but that will involve many ifs and the tea eventually doing another rebuild shortly as the team will deplete its prospect depth way to soon. For long term and guaranteed success they need to be traded as they are Toronto's best assets believe it or not.
Time for the fun as these are trades and could potentially play out.
Trade: Phaneuf and leafs 4th rounder to Detroit for Weiss, Detroit 1st Rounder in 2016, and Pulkinen.
Trade: Kessel, leafs 24th overall and Verhague to Carolina for Semin, Carolina's 5th, Skinner and a b or c level prospect.
Signings: David Booth, Tim Erixon, Peter Granberg, Nazem Kadri, Zach Sill and Brandon Kozun, Richard Panik, Bernier
Draft: Marner and Provorov (leafs provide first shock with Provorov over Hanifin)
Lineup:
Van Riemsdyk- Kadri - Skinner
Semin - Bozak - Lupul
Komarov - Weiss - Booth
Kozun - Carrick - Holland
Extra - Sill, Panik
Rielly - Polak
Gardiner - Robidas
Erixon - Percy
Extra - Granberg
Goalies: Bernier & Reimer
Trade Deadline - Bozak and Polak to Calgary to 1st rounder [burkies boy is back with him]
Lupul & Cap retained to St Louis for 1st rounder
Semin traded with some cap retained for 3rd or 4th rounder
Leafs finish last and get Austin Matthews plus three other 1st rounders.
2016/2017 Lineup
Van Riemsdyk - Marner - Nylander [Marner proves a valuable center]
Kadri - Matthews - Skinner
Komarov - Weiss - Connor Brown
Frattin - Carrick - Kozun
Defense
Reilly - Provorov
Gardiner - Erixon/Percy [both grow under babcock]
Granberg - Robidas
Goalie: Bernier & Bibeau
A young and competitive lineup as soon as 2016 still misses playoffs but finally on right track.