Knocked out in the first round again” – NHL fans roast Toronto Maple Leafs over debate about playoff chances next season

Last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished the regular season with the third-best record in the Atlantic Division. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team suffered a first-round elimination at the hands of the Boston Bruins

Once the offseason began following the Stanley Cup Finals, GM Brad Treliving went to work bolstering their roster for the season ahead. Of course, Treliving notably did so with limited assets after the team cleared out their war chest of draft picks in recent years.Despite that, Treliving has made some big moves this offseason, re-signing Max Domi while adding notable standouts in Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

With added depth to their roster, the team appears poised to make waves this season. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the NHL asked fans what they thought of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ projected lines for the season ahead.

With Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies handling first-line forward duties, Morgan Rielly joining Chris Tanev on the first defensive line, and Joseph Woll tending to the net, fans were quick to engage in spirited debates regarding how this season could play out for Toronto

“Yes and then they’ll get knocked out in the first round again,” one wrote.
“Even IF they do, it’s a guaranteed first round exit,” one predicted.
Others weighed in on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ depth:

Probably the worst bottom 6 in the league,” one wrote.
“Their D is really good. Probably 2nd best in the Atlantic behind Boston’s,” another added.

According to DraftKings, the Edmonton Oilers have the best odds to win the 2024-25 Stanley Cup. After coming up short in the Stanley Cup Finals last season, the team retained many of its core players.In addition, with the dynamic McDavid-Draisaitl duo still under contract, the future looks bright in Edmonton. The Florida Panthers sit behind the Oilers with the second-best odds. They have dealt with a lot of roster turnover since winning the Stanley Cup.

Despite losing Ryan Lomberg, Brandon Montour, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Panthers have +900 odds to win the cup.The Toronto Maple Leafs have +1300 odds to win the Stanley Cup, which puts them in fourth place alongside the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes.After first-round exits in six of the past eight post-seasons, the Maple Leafs will be looking to make a deep playoff run in pursuit of their first Stanley Cup win since the 1966-67 season.