Leafs’ Stanley Cup Odds Jump from +1000 to +1200 After Acquiring Tyson Barrie

• The Toronto Maple Leafs beefed up their defense with a pair of July 1 trades
• The club added Tyson Barrie from Colorado and Cody Ceci from Ottawa to their blueline
• The odds of the Leafs winning the 2019-20 Stanley Cup adjusted to +1200 after the deals

You know it’s July, because the skies are blue, the days are long and Toronto Maple Leafs fans think they’re going to win the Stanley Cup.

A year ago, it was the July 1 addition of free-agent center John Tavares that had Toronto supporters doing cartwheels.

This year, it’s the acquisition of Tyson Barrie from the Colorado Avalanche that especially has put the Leafs faithful into orbit. But unlike last summer, the sportsbooks aren’t following suit.

2020 NHL Stanley Cup Odds

Odds taken 07/02/19.

The Leafs were installed as Stanley Cup favorites after acquiring Tavares. This time around, Toronto’s Stanley Cup odds jumped from +1000 to +1200 after July 1 moves saw the Leafs add defensemen Barrie and Cody Ceci and centers Alex Kerfoot and Jason Spezza.

Toronto hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1966-67. That’s the longest active drought in the NHL. The Leafs haven’t won a playoff series since 2003-04. Only the Florida Panthers (1995-96) have endured a longer slump.

Defensive Shake Up

Firepower wasn’t an issue in Toronto, yet the Leafs felt the need to invest $77 million over seven years into Tavares last summer. He scored a team-leading 47 goals for them but they still exited in the first playoff round at the hands of the Boston Bruins.

https://twitter.com/ShackTS/status/1145138370030387200

This time around, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas set out to rebuild his backend. Nikita Zaitsev was traded to Ottawa for Ceci. Free agents Ron Hainsey and Jake Gardiner were allowed to walk.

Big TOR-COL trade: Leafs get Tyson Barrie, Alex Kerfoot and a 6th rd pick in 2020 from the Avs for Nazem Kadri, Calle Rosen and Toronto’s 3rd round selection in 2020. Colorado also retaining 50% of Barrie’s AAV ($5.5 million) as part of the transaction.

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) July 1, 2019

Then came the blockbuster deal that sent veteran center Nazem Kadri, defenseman Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round draft pick to Colorado for Barrie, Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round choice. As well, the Avalanche agreed to maintain 50-percent of Barrie’s salary for the 2019-20 NHL season.

Now or Never For Leafs

Dubas still has issues. He’s left with just over $11 million in cap space and must fit in new pacts for restricted free agents Kerfoot, Ceci and Marner. The Marner camp is seeking a multi-year deal in the $9-10 million per season range, so the math won’t work.

Only one of the eight defensemen on Toronto’s roster is signed past this season. Five of them will be UFAs next summer.

Leafs now have three RFAs to sign, with Cody Ceci and Alexander Kerfoot joining Mitch Marner.

— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) July 1, 2019

Dubas is headed for salary cap purgatory and his team still hasn’t won a playoff series. And the type of physical play that propelled the Bruins and Cup champion St. Louis Blues to the final last spring remains lacking from Toronto’s roster.

The Leafs might be winning the Cup in July but they won’t be winning it when it matters come June.