Maple Leafs 10/13 to make playoffs
LAS VEGAS, NV (The Spread) – Will the Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs in the 2014-15 NHL season? Oddsmakers seem to be split on the idea.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Maple Leafs have 10/11 odds to make the playoffs next season but also 10/13 odds to miss the postseason altogether. Toronto finished the regular season last year with 84 points after going 38-36-8 during the regular season. Despite that small margin of success, the Leafs failed to qualify for the playoffs last year.
The Maple Leafs already took a hit in free agency when center Dave Bolland signed a new five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Panthers. The team also lost left wing Nikolai Kulemin to the Islanders after he signed a four-year, $16.75 million contract and fellow winger Mason Raymond signed a three-year, $9.5 million deal with the Flames.
But Toronto didn’t come up empty in free agency as the team re-signed left wing Leo Komarov to a four-year, $11.8 million contract and inked center Mike Santorelli to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Santorelli, 28, played for the Canucks a year ago and registered 10 goals and 28 points in 49 games for Vancouver. He can play on the wing or at center for Toronto.
In other moves, the Leafs tapped Peter Horachek and Steve Spott to serve as assistant coaches next season. Horachek spent time in 2013-14 with the Panthers as an interim head coach while Spott spent last season serving as the AHL Toronto Marlies’ bench coach. Horachek led the Panthers to a 26-36-4 record, which wasn’t bad given the roster he had to work with.
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