The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t quite clinched their spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they’re about as sure a bet as there is.

With eight games remaining in their schedule, Toronto needs just one more win to clinch a berth in the 2025 postseason, setting them up for a ninth-straight appearance in the playoffs.

Fittingly enough, as the standings currently shake out, there are actually nine different opponents Toronto could play, although several of those possible opponents are on their last legs to make the playoffs. With all due respect to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Islanders, who have less than a combined 30 per cent odds at the postseason, it seems like we can narrow down a few — or even most — of the options.

Barring any major surprises over the last two weeks of the season, one of the Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, or Tampa Bay Lightning will be Toronto’s opponent this year.

Heading into Monday’s games, here’s how the standings shake out:

While long-time fans will remember the Battle of Ontario playoff series in the early 2000s (where Toronto beat Ottawa four different times), the Leafs have a bit more of a recent playoff history with both Tampa Bay and Florida.

Toronto fell to the Lightning in 2022 before winning the rematch a year later in 2023, their first series victory since 2004. Meanwhile, Toronto ended up getting Florida in the subsequent matchup in 2023 after taking down Tampa, where they fell in five games, while the Panthers marched on to their first of two Stanley Cup Final appearances.

The easiest way to understand it: if Toronto finishes in either second or third in the division, they’ll either play Florida or Tampa Bay, barring a late-season collapse from one of those two teams. If Toronto finishes first and wins the Atlantic Division, it’s likely to be Ottawa, assuming they hold the first wild card spot.

If Montreal ends up in the second wild card spot, they’ll cross over and play the Metropolitan Division winner, who is looking more and more like the Washington Capitals.

While it’s still a few weeks from having all the NHL matchups finalized, we should have a pretty good idea soon of who Toronto will play in the opening round.