The Maple Leafs are looking to become their own version of the Florida Panthers, or at least what they perceive the Stanley Cup champions to be.

The Leafs believe they added size, grit and depth during the off-season, elements they feel were lacking in suitable quantities while losing to Florida in seven games last spring. Outside analysis might differ and suggest what the Leafs were really missing was a concussed starting goalie and more offence, but general manager Brad Treliving — with no more input from a president above him — gets to decide what’s reality in Leafland.

Mimicking the Panthers is not a terrible idea. Even this season, without the injured Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers have won all three games so far. They play a superb team game.

The bi

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