Maple Leafs Preview: Vincent Damphousse Autographed Card

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This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.

Caveats: At this point, despite the season just starting, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are tight at the top of the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.

Key exits: Joseph Woll (G), Matthew Knies (LW), Steven Lorentz (C), Dennis Hildeby (G), Nick Robertson (LW), Brandon Carlo (D), Simon Benoît (D), Matias Maccelli (LW), Henry Thrun (D), Emil Andrae (D)

Key Arrivals: Darren Raddysh (D), Kirill Marchenko (RW), Jack Roslovic (C), Sergei Bobrovsky (C), Nick Paul (LW),Zack MacEwen (RW), Brandon Duhaime (LW), Teddy Blueger (C), Colton Sissons (C),Miles Wood (LW),Elvis Merzlikins (G)

Top prospects: Gavin McKenna (RW, 18), Miroslav Holinka (C, 20), Ben Danford (D, 20),Jacob Quillan (C, 24), Noah Chadwick (D, 21), Alexander Bilecki (D, 18), Artur Aktyamov (C, 24), Ethan MacKenzie (D, 20)

I thought the Toronto Maple Leafs would make the playoffs last season despite losing Mitch Marner, but McKenna should provide some of the offense that was lost a year ago, though the leadership angle will have to wait a little bit - I don't see him taking over a locker room that already includes captain Auston Matthews and former captain John Tavares.

What makes their odds look good:
He's been away from the game for a while, but GM John Chayka still co-owned Stathletes with sister Meghan Chayka and Neil Lane, so he still kept tabs on NHL players and kept digging on the analytics front. Expect smart bets on young players coming out of their entry-level deals like he did with the Arizona Coyotes, and savvy veteran additions.

Question marks:
Is signing Bobrovsky for three years a savvy decision, though? Is Jim Hiller an NHL-caliber head coach despite what we saw him do with the Los Angeles Kings for the past two and a half years??

Outlook:
William Nylander is probably good for 90 points, Matthews should get back in the 30-to-35-goal range, Oliver Ekman-Larsson continues to defy age and Marchenko probably enjoys a year-long honeymoon in Toronto, who are very improved from last year. Enough to make the playoffs? Enough to make it interesting until the final week of the season.

Prediction:
5th in the Atlantic Division.

I tend to think of Vincent Damphousse as an important player for the San Jose Sharks and the Leafs, not as much for the Montréal Canadiens or Edmonton Oilers - but the truth is that, statistically, his highest totals have come in Montréal and his lowest were in San Jose. I'll say this though: Damphousse made the Sharks a serious team whose move to replace him as a centre after his retirement was to acquire Art Ross winner Joe Thornton in-season. To get back to the Leafs, however, they were the first team with which he broke the 30-goal and 90-point marks for the first time, going 33-61-94 in 80 games in 1989-90. Here he is wearing their classic 1980s blue (away) uniform on card #34 from In The Game's 2003-04 Original 6 - Toronto Maple Leafs set:

He signed it in-person in fading black sharpie at the Bell Centre 10-15 years ago, definitely after his ugly divorce.