Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs 10/13/22 - NHL Picks & Predictions

The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Washington Capitals for their home opener Oct. 13. Toronto won all three games against Washington last season, outscoring the Capitals 16-9.

The Maple Leafs’ 115 points last season were a record for the organization, but the Florida Panthers still won the Atlantic Division with 122 points. Toronto’s season ended with a first-round playoff loss for the sixth straight year. Washington also made the playoffs, tallying 100 points and finishing fourth in the Metropolitan Division, but was bounced in the first round for the fourth consecutive season.

The biggest change this offseason for the Maple Leafs is in goal. Jack Campbell is out, and the duo of Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov are in. Murray got the start Wednesday at Montreal, and Samsonov is scheduled to start at home against Washington, his former team.

Hart Memorial Trophy winter Auston Matthews is back for Toronto after a 106-point season in which he scored a league-high 60 goals and had 46 assists. Matthews will be joined on the first line by wingers Michael Bunting and Mitch Marner. Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie are the team’s top defensemen.

Washington has also made a change in goal, bringing in Darcy Kuemper from Stanley Cup champion Colorado to replace Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek. The lineup in front of him is formidable but aging. Captain Alex Ovechkin, 37, is joined on the first line by Evgeny Kuznetsov, 30, and Connor Brown, 28. Veteran defenseman John Carlson, 32, is paired with 23-year-old Martin Fehervary who is returning for his second full season with eh team.

Washington’s top center, Nicklas Backstrom, is out after hip surgery, and winger Tom Wilson is expected to be sidelined until December after knee surgery.