For the past few years, with the excitement of the new NHL season starting, Leafs fans were handed sheer and utter disappointment. From bad contracts to being in a playoff spot and then falling off the face of the earth to major on-ice and off ice issues that clouded the team. This time around, things are starting to look brighter. From  young players on the ice to management in the front office, there are many things to excited about (for sure) this time around. Here are the top 20 reasons why fans should be excited for this season:

20. It can’t get worse: The Leafs finished in 30th position last year, as I’m sure most of you know, and between the time James van Riemsdyk went down in January, until the trade deadline at the end of February, iced a lineup that was almost unwatchable most nights. There’s an influx of youth this year that will if nothing else make the on ice product more fun to watch.

19. They’ll likely have another decent draft pick: Let’s be realistic here for a second. When the Leafs missed out on Steven Stamkos, they probably lost most hope of making the playoffs this season. There will be improvement, they likely won’t pick first barring a lottery win, but a top 10 pick is likely.

18. They won’t be tanking: The lineup iced most nights will be designed to grow, not get it’s brains bashed in. Marginal veteran players like Brad Boyes won’t be in the lineup over up and comers like Nikita Soshnikov.

17. Oppor-TUN-ity: That’s the approximate phonetics of Head Coach Mike Babcock’s favorite buzzword, and we’re going to see plenty of it. There’s no doubt that before the season is over, we’ll see guys like Brendan Leipsic, Connor Brown, Kasperi Kapanen, Victor Loov, Rinat Valiev, as well as possibly towards the end of the year Travis Dermott, Andrew Nielsen, Andreas Johnson and Dmytro Timashov in a Leafs sweater. These guys will get the opportunity to prove they can play in the NHL.

16. Lubas: That’s the handle I’ve decided to bestow on the combination of General Manager Lou Lamoriello and Assistant GM Kyle Dubas. The pair, as well as the rest of the management team have found creative ways to improve the Leafs currently and for the future, such as the Dion Phaneuf deal, where they were willing to take back some bad salary in the short term, taking back the deals of Jared Cowen, Colin Greening, and Milan Michalek, all of which expire after this season, in exchange to acquire talented prospect Tobias Lindberg, and a 2017 2nd round pick, as well as ridding themselves of the last 5 years of Dion Phaneuf’s dreadful 7 year $49 million deal that was handed out by the previous regime. They pulled off a similar move in sending Daniel Winnik and his reasonable deal out of town along with a 5th round pick, in exchange for an overpaid but not useless Brooks Laich who had one more year on his deal, stud defensive prospect Connor Carrick, and a 2nd round pick. Come to think of it, Daniel Winnik has netted the Leafs Martin Marincin, Connor Carrick, and Carl Grundstrom. Someone should send that man a fruit basket or something!

15. Brandon Pridham: Probably the most underrated part of the Leafs front office, Pridham is the capologist. He also helped design the collective bargaining agreement for the NHL, so he’s more aware of what loopholes there might be in it than most. And let’s be honest, there’s been a bit of salary cap shenanigans going on, at the very least involving the Clarkson for Horton deal. If there’s a way to get a deal done that requires a little maneuvering, there’s no doubt Pridham can figure it out.

14. William Nylander will play center at some point: There was much hand wringing and belly aching when Mike Babcock declared that Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak would be the top two centers this season and that Nylander would be a winger. Most feel that Nylander should be developed and ultimately play center in the NHL. What most failed to realize is that Kadri and Bozak have combined to miss 68 games over the last 3 years due to a combination of injuries and suspensions, with Bozak in particular missing 25 games last year, and 24 in 2013-14. So essentially, the odds of both of them playing 82 games this season are about as good as my odds of actually dating Taylor Swift! (call me TSwizzle!)

13. Not having a clue what’s going to happen next: The Leafs are like a really good TV show. They leave you wondering what’s around the corner and frequently make you gasp with the moves that they make that no one saw coming, like the Phaneuf trade. Sometimes it can be pretty annoying, like when no one had a clue who had received qualifying offers until more than 24 hours after the deadline to do so had passed. But most of the time it’s really fun and exciting. Basically, the Leafs are the Pretty Little Liars of the NHL.

12. The Marlies: With guys like Nylander, Hyman, Soshnikov, and Leivo probably being Leafs, and guys like Arcobello, Colin Smith, and TJ Brennan moving on to other places, we’re going to see a lot of Kapanen, Johnson, Timashov, Dermott, and Nielsen. There’s even a decent chance that Jeremy Bracco could join the team when his OHL team’s season ends.

11. Mike Babcock: Remember when there was NO WAY that Babcock was coming to the Leafs, because LOLeafs? Well the best coach in hockey is about to start his second season behind the Leafs bench, his press conferences are refreshing, he’s careful not throw his players under the bus, and he’s unlikely to say that his ultra popular goaltender was “Just okay,” after standing on his head playing behind a team that has no structure. He’s also pretty unlikely not to have a team with no structure.

10. Fredrik Andersen: Speaking of goalies, the Leafs finally have a starter quality goalie that we can all feel comfortable with. Fredrik Anderson brings a solid track record to the crease and should be the starter for the foreseeable future. The backup goaltending spot is wide open after Jonathan Bernier was traded to Anaheim. Add in recent draft pick Joseph Woll who should be a few years away, and there’s reason for excitement between the pipes for the Leafs.

9. The new uniforms: The most recent Maple Leafs crest was alright, but it was lacking something. There wasn’t anything particularly majestic about it, but the new logo is exactly that, majestic. It looks particularly regal when paired with the royal blue home uniforms.

8. The Centennial: With the 100th anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs many speculated that the Winter Classic would be in Toronto vs the New York Rangers. That didn’t happen because NBC didn’t want to lose a huge ratings boost that they get from the two markers involved in the game so it went to Chicago vs St. Louis. Then it was thought that the 2017 NHL draft would be held in Toronto, but that went to Chicago. However the Leafs were granted a New Year’s day outdoor game vs the Detroit Red Wings at BMO field called the Centennial Classic, because when you’re as important as the Leafs are, the league creates events for you. Additionally, there will be a list of the 100 greatest Toronto Maple Leafs of all time, as well as former Leafs greats honored before games at the ACC.

7. Matt Martin: In the AHL playoffs, the young Marlies team got pushed around by more grizzled teams like Albany and Hershey. Since a lot of those young players are coming up to the NHL level this year, management decided to go out and get a player with a physical presence, who is also a decent hockey player in Matt Martin. Martin can hit, fight, defend, and even score a little. He’s a solid addition to a very young Leafs core.

6. Kadri and Rielly contracts: The Leafs took care of a huge piece of housekeeping before the summer ever started, inking Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly to 6 year contract extensions, both at or below market value. Kadri got 6 years at $4.5 million per season, and Rielly was signed for 6 years at 5 million per season. Nazem Kadri projects as a 2nd or 3rd line center for the duration of his deal, and the going rate for that is around 5 million per season. Rielly projects as a top pairing defenseman, and the going rate for that, especially at his age, is around 6 million per year. So all in all, it was a solid piece of business for Leafs management to lock them up for as long as they did, as cheaply as they did.

5. Nikita Zaitsev: Most view the Leafs’ biggest weakness to be on defense. They did a something to address this in early May as they signed Nikita Zaitsev, widely regarded as the best defenceman in the KHL at age 24. Zaitsev was the top defender for CSKA this year as they reached the Gagarin Cup final, as well as being named to the World Hockey Championship All Star team as Russia took home the bronze medal, and being named to the Russia World Cup of Hockey roster. If he can make the transition to the North American ice surface quickly, he’ll be a definite upgrade on defence.

4. Nikita Soshnikov, Zach Hyman, and Connor Carrick: All three of these players were acquired either via trade or free agent signing since the end of the 2014 season, and all three represent reasons for Leaf fans to be excited about the upcoming season. Soshnikov impressed with speed, a great shot, and the ability to get under the skin of opposing players. Hyman was able to provide grit as well as a decent scoring touch and very rarely looked out of place during his NHL stint. Carrick was very good in his NHL stint on the Leafs defense, as well as leading the Marlies in scoring during their run to the Calder Cup Semi Finals. These are three very good players who figure to see a lot of NHL ice time this season.

3. William Nylander: Nylander would be higher on this list were it not for the embarrassment of riches that the Leafs have in terms of forward prospects. As a 19 year old last season, he led the AHL in scoring until leaving for the World Junior Championships and a subsequent injury and then NHL callup tailed off his overall production. To put that in perspective, most 19 year olds aren’t even allowed to play in the AHL due to the CHL-NHL transfer agreement, which does not apply to europeans who aren’t drafted out of the CHL. In 77 games last year between the Marlies, Leafs and Swedish World Junior team, Nylander scored 32 goals and added 39 assists, all against either grown men, or elite junior competition. In 22 NHL games, he was far from out of place, with 6 goals and 7 assists. Nylander would be the top prospect in the systems of probably 20+ NHL teams, but he’s probably the #3 prospect in the Leafs organization.

2. Mitch Marner: Mitch Marner was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NHL entry draft. It was thought that he was a dynamic offensive threat, and his game was compared to the likes of Patrick Kane, but I don’t think anyone expected this. In 85 games last year, between the London Knights regular season, playoffs, and Memorial Cup run, the CHL-Russia Super Series and Canada’s World Junior program, Marner recorded 59 goals, 120 assists, for 179 points. Adding to these absolutely ludicrous numbers is the fact that Marner was at least defensively responsible enough that head coach Dale Hunter routinely left him on the ice for prolonged shifts late in tight games. Marner is both an offensive dynamo, and complete player who may lead the Leafs in scoring one day very soon.

1. Auston Matthews: When the Leafs won the Draft Lottery on April 30, the wait finally ended for a franchise that has been searching for a prototypical #1 center since the retirement of Mats Sundin. The backstory of Auston Matthews is well documented. The unconventional training, not playing on uber expensive AAA minor hockey programs, etc. The thing that stands out most when watching Matthews talk is his maturity. One might wonder if he even has a pulse as they watch him answer questions while his demeanor stays exactly the same. On the ice, the thing that stands out the most is his ability to maneuver in tight spaces, no doubt a product of being trained on a smaller ice surface. Matthews is smooth and confident, and his contribution will never to be able to be measured by stats, although he has plenty of those too as he averaged more than a point per game playing against men in the Swiss league this year, as well as recording 9 points in 10 games for Team USA at this year’s World Hockey Championships. Matthews will be a star in the NHL for the next 15 years, and may eventually be talked about as one of the top 5 players in the world. He will be the MVP when the Toronto Maple Leafs eventually win the Stanley Cup, and he’s the biggest reason to be excited for this season!