3 Key Players Will Be Sidelined This Offseason If the Toronto Maple Leafs Decides..
If the Toronto Maple Leafs fall in the First Round this year, expect some big changes this offseason.
After winning their first playoff series in 19 years last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs quickly lost in five games to the Florida Panthers.
They had a brilliant team, but unfortunately fell victim to one of the best goaltending performances in NHL history from Sergei Bobrovsky.
After failing to advance past Florida, many expected changes, but nobody expected that change to be former GM Kyle Dubas.
Reports indicated that Dubas wanted a bigger role in the organization and it seems he lost his job in the aftermath of a power struggle.
As we all know, Dubas eventually got what he wanted from the Pittsburgh Penguins and that organization is in a better place as a result. Moving on from Dubas was one of the dumbest decisions this organization could have made and I truly believe it will cost them in the future, but I digress.
The playoffs have not been kind to the Leafs over the years and since they’ve continued to run each year back with the same core and have continued to lose, I think this is the last year they’re committed to that process. I think if this team fails to advance in the playoffs, there will be big changes with some names we might not expect.
As such, here are three Toronto Maple Leafs that I expect to be gone from the organization next year if the team fails to advance in the playoffs.
Another regular season has come and gone for this Toronto Maple Leafs team. This year the Leafs finished with a 46-26-10 record which gives them 102 points and third in the Atlantic division. (Standings stats from NHL.com)
What looked like a pretty certain playoff match-up of the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Panthers flipped on the second last game of the season for the Leafs after blowing a two-goal lead against Florida.
With Boston losing their last two games against Washington and Ottawa it gives us this matchup against who is seen as the boogeyman to this franchise.
The Leafs aren’t the favourites going into this series, which if we’re being honest doesn’t matter a whole lot to this team.
The playoff success has been non-existent regardless if they’re the favourites heading into the series or the underdog.
The Leafs beat the Lightning for their first series win since 2004 last season. Although they were outplayed, they got the job done. So heading into this series how can the Leafs get the job done against this Bruins team?
