It’s dire times for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For the first time in nearly a decade, it feels like the Maple Leafs are at serious risk of missing the playoffs. A three-game losing streak and a disheartening 7-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night seemed to cement the team’s status as a seller at this year’s trade deadline.
Toronto now sits eight points back of a playoff spot and will likely have to battle with the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to qualify. With how this team has looked in recent weeks, it doesn’t seem likely that it will amount to all that much.
It may be a good idea for fans to start turning their attention to the draft lottery, as MoneyPuck is giving them equal odds to pick first overall or make the playoffs, with each possibility sitting at 4.5 per cent.
That is not where the Leafs want to be with just 29 games left on the schedule, but that’s the reality in Toronto. This team is on a collision course with an early offseason, which would be the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Missing the playoffs this season would signal the start of the end for the Maple Leafs’ contention window. Some serious changes would need to be made, especially with Auston Matthews having just two seasons left on his current contract.
The silver lining here is that the last time the Leafs missed the playoffs, they drafted Matthews first overall. While it’s still highly unlikely Toronto wins the first-overall pick again, they are on pace to have their highest draft pick since selecting their captain.
While talk of drafting an exciting new prospect will numb the sting a little, nobody in Toronto is happy with how things have gone this season.
Lead photo by
Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images