Parity Reigns Supreme in the NHL
League parity is another reason to be optimistic about the Leafs championship aspirations.
The Salary Cap artificially levels the competition and makes it so that no team is perfect, all teams are flawed, and injury luck has an outsized affect on the outcomes.
Seven teams have won a title during the last eight NHL seasons. Only the Lightning (2) have more than one Stanley Cup during that time.
As disheartening as all the early playoff exits and multiple Game 7 defeats are, the Leafs have become a more competitive postseason team. Immaturity cost them victories against lesser opponents like the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Injuries to Matthews, Nylander, and Joseph Woll were the difference in the most recent series defeat against the Boston Bruins. The Maple Leafs were the better team.
In 2022-2023, the Leafs defeated the Lightning and their championship pedigree before losing to the eventual Cup-Finalist Panthers.
Being in the Atlantic Division makes playoff success more difficult for the Maple Leafs. Forsix successive seasons, a team from this division has won or played for the Stanley Cup.
The difference between winning and losing in today's NHL is minuscule. It is especially difficult in the Atlantic Division.