NHL 2011-12: Toronto Maple Leafs and 7 Teams Who Have the Biggest Expectations

Each NHL season brings great expectations for many teams, whether they are looking to win the Stanley Cup for the first time, like the San Jose Sharks, or trying to simply make the playoffs, like the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Whether or not these teams meet expectations can result in coaches and players being fired or traded, so the team can find the right people to make the squad successful.

Let's look at seven teams facing the biggest expectations this season in the NHL. For a look at the seven players under the highest expectations this season, click here.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter for NHL news and analysis. Follow @NicholasGoss35

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have yet to reach the Stanley Cup Finals since drafting Alexander Ovechkin in 2004, despite having some talented teams.

They bowed out in the second round of the playoffs last season to the Tampa Bay Lightning and were upset in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens in 2010.

The Capitals did add veteran goaltender Tomas Vokoun this summer, who will add a dependable presence between the pipes for the Capitals in the playoffs.

Star players Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin must perform better in the playoffs to help the Capitals get to the Cup Finals.

If they don't reach at least the Conference Finals this season, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau will almost certainly be fired. 

Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks won the President's Trophy last season for having the best record in the regular season and, after a thrilling first-round series win against Chicago, the Canucks eased to the Finals against Boston.

However, the Bruins beat up the Canucks all series, then beat them 4-0 in Game 7 of the series to win the Cup.

The Canucks needed to get tougher in the summer and they brought in no one who will help them in that department.

The Sedin twins were terrible in the Finals and Vezina Trophy Finalist Roberto Luongo crumbled in goal as the pressure mounted.

Vancouver has to win the Cup Finals this season or major changes could be made next summer, including finding a new coach. 

St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues fans are always among the attendance leaders, but those same fans will be pretty upset if their team can't find a way to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs this season.

The Blues finished 11th in the Western Conference last season, 10 points behind the eighth and final playoff spot.

After acquiring goaltender Jaroslav Halak from the Montreal Canadiens last summer, the Blues expected another playoff run.

The Blues instead have a minus-44 goal differential and were in the middle of the pack in goals-against and goals-for.

St. Louis needs to find a way to get to the playoffs or the team could face major changes.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens have won the most Stanley Cups in NHL history (24), but haven't been to the Finals since their last triumph in 1993.

The Canadiens lost in the first round of the playoffs to their arch-rivals the Boston Bruins last season, despite taking the first two games of the series on the road.

They added little offensive firepower in the summer and let defenseman James Wisniewski, one of the better offensive D-men in the NHL, walk in free agency.

The Canadiens tied for 21st in the NHL last season with 213 goals, despite being in the Top 10 in shots taken.

They do have an amazing goalie in Carey Price and a franchise defenseman in PK Subban, but they can't take the Canadiens deep into the playoffs by themselves.

Another season with an early playoff exit could cause some big changes in Montreal next summer.

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks have finally managed to get deep into the playoffs after numerous early-round disappointments, but have just one win out of nine during the last two Western Conference Finals.

The Sharks have improved their team greatly this summer, adding star defenseman Brent Burns and forward Martin Havlat from Minnesota and trading Dany Heatley, who rarely showed up in the playoffs.

Joe Thornton finally proved he could play well in the later rounds of the postseason last year and gave a courageous effort despite battling injuries.

The Sharks have the best team to win the Stanley Cup they've ever had, and another failure this season would likely see multiple players and coaches needing to find new homes next season.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers finally acquired a top line center this summer when they signed coveted free agent Brad Richards to a nine-year, $60 million contract.

The team also re-signed key players Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky to new contracts.

Richards will lead an offense that needs to give more support to arguably the best goaltender in the NHL, Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist has carried the Rangers the past few seasons and has had to defend too many one-goal leads. 

The Rangers have a very good team this year, with an improved offense and a good, young defense, but not getting to the second round would be a disappointment.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to get back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

The Maple Leafs added center Tim Connolly (who must stay healthy), Matthew Lombardi, Cody Franson and John-Michael Liles to add some solid depth, but must re-sign current restricted free-agent defenseman Luke Schenn, who is one of the best young blueliners in hockey.

The Maple Leafs finished tied for 21st in goals scored last season and will need winger Phil Kessel to fulfill his potential as a 40-goal scorer to improve on that mark.

Toronto was only eight points out of a playoff spot last season and will be expected to reach the postseason this year.