The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to take a step back this season after winning the Atlantic Division last year.
The Maple Leafs lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Florida Panthers. After the playoff loss, Toronto saw Mitch Marner leave, who led the team in points last season.
With that, NHL analyst Sara Civan of Bleacher Report expects the Maple Leafs to take a step back next season.
“The Leafs aren’t returning an improved roster on paper after losing Marner to the Golden Knights and failing to replace his point production on a sparse free agency market,” Civan wrote. “We’ll see how they’re doing at the trade deadline, and it should be a big year for Matthew Knies, but this year could be a step back before a step forward type scenario.”
Toronto has the third-best odds of winning the Atlantic Division behind the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, according to DraftKings. However, the Maple Leafs have odds of -380 to make the playoffs, which implies a 79.2% chance.
But, after not really replacing Marner, Civan expects Toronto to take a step back and not win the division or go as far this season.
What are The Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup Odds?
Toronto enters the season with the ninth-best odds of winning the Stanley Cup.
The Maple Leafs have odds of +2200 to win the Cup, just behind the New Jersey Devils and ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.
Last season, the Maple Leafs were tied for the fourth-best odds of winning the Cup at +1300, so it is a steep decline from last season.
In the offseason, Toronto added Mattias Macelli, Nic Roy, Dakota Joshua, and Michael Pezzetta to add more depth to the lineup. Yet, the Maple Leafs did lose Marner in the offseason, and general manager Brad Treliving says that is a need.
“When a player of Mitch’s magnitude moves away, that’s never a fun day,” Treliving said. “But we were able to recoup a player who I think can really help us. And in a situation where a player was walking away this morning for nothing, we were able to recoup a player that fits a need for us…
“Mitch was a top-six forward, and we haven’t replaced that hole,” Treliving added. “That’s really where our focus is.”
The Maple Leafs instead have focused on adding more depth and being a harder team to play against.
Analyst Has Maple Leafs as Top-10 Cup Contender
Although Civan expects the Maple Leafs to take a step back, the analyst does have the Maple Leafs as the ninth-best team in the NHL.
Civan has Toronto ranked ninth in her top-10 Cup contenders, as she believes the roster is still good, despite losing Marner.
“The failures of the Toronto Maple Leafs are about much more than just on-ice stats and happenings — they’re about the pressure of the market, the core four’s offense drying up when the postseason rolls around, and the lack of that intangible “oomph” they are desperately searching for in this era,” Civan wrote.
“On paper, Mitch Marner is one of the best two-way forwards in the game and a 100+ point player. In reality, the team couldn’t get it done in the core four era, partially due to the combination of key players and the ability to handle pressure,” Civan added. “The Leafs aren’t making leaps and bounds while losing a player that has been a team centerpiece for years, but they are certainly entering a new era and moving on from a disappointing vibe that has haunted them for years. Shedding that counts for something.”
Toronto will open its 2025 NHL season on Oct. 8 against the Montreal Canadiens.
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