This article is part of our Frozen Fantasy series.
I live in the shadow of Leaf Land. The drama is non-stop on every channel, from old-school radio to rants on social.
Shoot me now.
The sky is falling. No, everything is great. The pendulum swings wide after every game. There's nothing in between.
Then again, there's never been rational thought in Leaf Land.
The Leafs may not make the playoffs this season. They play highly skilled, electric, but dispassionate hockey. Are they good enough? Do they care enough? Can they play hard enough?
ENOUGH! Anyone else hate drama? Sorry, that was rhetorical.
But from a fantasy perspective, owning Leaf skaters is a winning strategy. Since Sheldon Keefe took over behind the bench, the Buds have scored the most goals in the NHL. And their power play is tops, too.
Why else would I stack up three of them – Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander – on a single team?
Now, the Leafs are top-10 in goals allowed. Even the world-class Frederik Andersen can't fix that.
But the Leafs are one of the youngest teams in the league. Once healthy, their firepower will make them a top-five team.
And my team with Marner, Tavares and Wee Willie will roar.
Ditch the drama. Listen to opera if need be. OK, that's not reasonable, but you get my drift.
Laugh at the rants because they're irrational. Love hockey because it's great.
But love fantasy because it's even better.
Now let's take a look at who caught my eye