Maple Leafs crack top 10 in NHL power rankings despite question marks

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a top 10 team, but an argument could be made that they are not heading into next season. | Claus Andersen/GettyImagesThe Toronto Maple Leafs cracked the top 10 in the latest edition of NHL.com’s power rankings. The Buds landed in the ninth spot, one rung above the Washington Capitals who were ranked 10th.

While cracking the top 10 seems nice, the bigger question is, why aren’t the Maple Leafs higher in the rankings?

Perhaps a more elaborate question would be: Are the Leafs better than the teams ahead of them?

In my estimation, two issues emerge at this juncture.

First, the loss of Mitch Marner has skewed opinions about the Leafs across the league. It’s as if Marner…