5 shocking predictions for the Toronto Maple Leafs 2024-25 NHL season
By Edward Eng
The Maple Leafs will finish 8th in the Eastern Conference to sneak into the playoffs
This truly is a "shocking" prediction since the Toronto Maple Leafs might have the highest floor of any team in hockey and are almost certainly a playoff lock. That doesn't mean that disaster can't befall them, however, and I'm predicting it will.
With the Maple Leafs hire of head coach Craig Berube, it also came with a corresponding change to almost the entire Leafs coaching staff. In doing so, what comes with it will be a significant adjustment period for the Leaf players. That is because with new faces always come new rules, objective and systems to adhere to. After having Sheldon Keefe constantly at the helm for the past five seasons, there’s no doubt some habits would have been developed under his system by some of the current Leafs players.
Now with the new head honcho in Berube, the Leafs will be forced to break some of those habits in search of making the team better for now and the future. As much as they could quickly adapt their game under the new system during the preseason, the ultimate effect likely won’t come into play until the regular season starts. As a result, look for the Maple Leafs to stumble coming out of the gate as they work to adjust to Berube’s new system.
Add to that the fact that Tanev is old, the goaltending is inexperienced and the blue-line is incredibly average, and you have a recipe for disaster. Assuming Marner doesn't sign and the team has to deal with that distraction on top of everything else, and this season could get rough for the Leafs.
On top of that, many other teams in the conference also made key additions over the offseason to make them that much stronger and tougher. So the Leafs will have to desperately make back up the ground that they will lose at the beginning of the season. As they finally come together effectively and play catch up for the rest of the season, the Leafs will barely eek out a playoff spot by finishing in eighth place in the Eastern Conference by the end of the season.