Lars Eller reduces Maple Leafs to 'probably' a playoff team

Powered by an NHL-best attack that features the league’s leading goal scorer, most productive defender and two other stars in the top five in overall scoring, the Toronto Maple Leafs have five wins from six games to start the season and have pretty clearly established themselves as a force in the early days of 2018-19.

But in Lars Eller’s mind, they really ain’t no thang.

The Stanley Cup champion and sudden hockey heel threw some top-quality patronizing shade at the opposing outfit after the Maple Leafs edged his Capitals 4-2 in an entertaining affair in Washington on Saturday night.

“We were just playing against (Sidney) Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin, so everything kind of drops off from there. It’s not that special, to be honest. It’s a good team, like a lot of others,” Eller said, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.

“They’ll probably be a playoff team, I would think.”

We’re missing a little bit of context here, because this is just an isolated quote. But let’s be real: the last bit is intentional, and simply wonderful from Eller.

He knows that Maple Leafs fans are in an absolute tizzy over their team, and with an air of confidence after last season’s championship run, the grizzled postseason veteran successfully trolled a fanbase by reducing the Leafs to “probably” a playoff team.

At least, “he thinks.”

Punching in “Eller” on Twitter search will confirm that the needling worked on some.

Oh, and you know what else you’ll find on Twitter? That Leafs GM Kyle Dubas “liked” Isabelle’s tweet with the Eller quote.

More of this, everyone. More. of. this.

More NHL coverage on Yahoo Sports: