Toronto at Ottawa

Rebuilding Toronto opens the season on the road as Coach Mike Babcock continues to add talented high draft picks. Top overall pick Auston Matthews joins former first-round picks Mitchell Marner (2015 draft) and William Nylander (2014 draft). The Leafs upgraded the goaltending with Frederik Andersen aboard, after posting a 22-9-7 mark with a 2.30 goals-against average in 43 games last season with Anaheim. They head to Ottawa, a team favored despite having no defense last season, fifth most in goals allowed (2.94 per game). Ottawa also has a new coach - its seventh in nine years. The team was outscored in preseason and last year the defense allowed a league-high 32.8 shots per game while the special teams play (#26th on the power play, #29 in penalty kill) was poor. Ottawa was plagued by slow starts in 2015-16, surrendering the first goal in 51 of 82 games, and doesn't match up well with this young, fast Toronto squad that is well coached. Play Toronto.