Where Maple Leafs Rank Among NHL Best Teams, According to Don Cherry originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Don Cherry is standing by the Toronto Maple Leafs, even after another early playoff exit.
On Episode 311 of “The Don Cherry’s Grapevine Podcast,” the longtime NHL coach and broadcaster agreed with Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons in his ranking of the Leafs within the league’s best teams.
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Simmons argued on June 2 that only the Panthers and Oilers are better than the Leafs right now, and Cherry agreed with him.
“Simmons wrote an article in the Toronto Sun, and he said that the Leafs are the third-best team in the league behind Edmonton and Florida,” said Don’s son, Tim Cherry, in the podcast. “Do you agree?”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) celebrates with forwards Matthew Knies (23) and Mitch Marner (16) after scoring a goal against the New Jersey Devils.Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
“I agree,” Don replied. “They just can’t, they just can’t get out of that division. They’re in the wrong division, and they get nailed every time.”
Tim echoed the sentiment, saying, “Yeah, it’s all the top goalies. … They always seem to run into the hot goalies and the hot team.”
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The Leafs finished the season with 108 points and a 52-26-4 record, good for their first Atlantic Division title.
Reigning Stanley Cup Final champions the Florida Panthers, who are also competing for their second consecutive championship, finished with 98 points and third in the same division.
The Leafs, however, fell in a seven-game, second-round series to the Panthers. It has been 21 years since Toronto advanced past the second round; they made the conference finals in 2004.
Cherry, however, isn’t buying that the postseason loss disqualifies them among the NHL’s elite teams, as he made clear in agreeing with Simmons’ take.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.