Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Get Over the First Round Hump in 2021

It’s every NHL team’s aim to win the Stanley Cup each season, but for the Toronto Maple Leafs their aim should be far more realistic.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have failed to progress beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2004, when the legendary Pat Quinn was still the head coach, and this current crop of players need to get the team over that hump in 2021.

The 2019/20 regular season ended in extraordinarily unusual circumstances for every team in the league and, ultimately, the Leafs failed to even officially qualify for the playoffs after a disappointing best-of-five series against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It’s been almost 17 years since the Leafs last featured beyond the first round of the post-season and the pressure should be on them to change that narrative once all is said and done this season.

A Conservative, But Necessary Target

For four consecutive seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs have finished third in their division and have failed to win a single post-season series despite boasting some of the best young talent on offense.

Entering 2021, the Leafs will have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about their chances at removing this grey cloud that currently hangs over the team, thanks in large part to the top offensive talent they have, but also because of a number of important changes made during the off-season by general manager Kyle Dubas.

A shake-up of the team’s bottom six forwards should breathe new life into a roster that had largely been unchanged for the past couple of seasons, while a key defensive addition in T.J. Brodie should go a long way to shoring up the team’s blueline woes.

The Leafs fanbase has extremely high expectations of the team, especially considering the large amount of money invested into players such as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares, and questions will be asked of the team if another first round exit is experienced.

The positive for the team is that they will play a ‘full’ season under head coach Sheldon Keefe, who was thrust into the position part-way through the 2019/20 season after a disastrous start under the increasingly maligned Mike Babcock.

Preparing for the campaign under Keefe’s guidance, with his open, free-flowing style of offensive play, and strong 25-15-5 record during the regular season last year, should have the team ready to compete in the new and unique North Division, which features every Canadian team in the league. (Stats via Hockey Reference).

The shortened 56-game campaign should help the Leafs stay healthier than last season, where a number of key losses were experienced before the season was ultimately cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Having guys available each and every night will help the team keep consistency and build chemistry with the new faces brought in to help the team this off-season, such as Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds and Jimmy Vesey.

The 2021 season will not be easy, given the unique circumstances and the changes in the overall structure, including the sheer number of times the Toronto Maple Leafs will face-off against their divisional rivals, but if the team does indeed make the playoffs this time around, then getting through to the second round should be the aim before anything can even be considered.

If the team is still unable to do that, then serious questions need to be asked of people such as Dubas, and even Brendan Shanahan, and their vision for making the team a legitimate cup contender over the next few years.