If the Toronto Maple Leafs escape their first-round battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning there will be an easy narrative to lean on about this team finally finding the right players to put around its core.
General manager Kyle Dubas will get showered with credit for adding a Conn Smythe winner in Ryan O'Reilly, toughness on the back end in Jake McCabe and Luke Schenn, plus a few nifty bottom-six forwards to boost the team's depth.
Should Toronto advance — which FiveThirtyEight gives a likelihood of 92 percent but few Maple Leafs fans feel that confident about — Dubas will deserve his flowers on that count.