The new year is nearly upon us, as Wednesday will mark the first day of 2025. It’s been quite the year for many, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have had plenty of highs, and an extreme low after being eliminated by the Boston Bruins in the playoffs this past spring.
The year of 2025 will be a massive one for the Maple Leafs, who could face some franchise-altering changes should they exit early from the playoffs yet again. They are a very talented group, however, leading some to believe this will be the year they get over the hump. With that said, here are three bold predictions for the Maple Leafs in 2025.
Maple Leafs Go on Lengthy Playoff Run
If the playoffs were to start today, the Maple Leafs would be taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. By no means would that be a cakewalk, but the Maple Leafs have knocked out the Lightning before, and should be able to do it again against a Lightning team that, while still fantastic, isn’t as elite of a group as they were during their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021.
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The Maple Leafs are an improved group under head coach Craig Berube, and have a better overall roster than in years past. General manager Brad Treliving has bettered the blue line with the Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson additions, and the signing of Anthony Stolarz has helped stabilize play between the pipes.
Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism is the situation Auston Matthews is facing. The Maple Leafs captain is currently out due to an upper-body injury and has played in just 24 games this season. There’s no need to rush him back given how well the team has played this season, which could result in Matthews missing some more time and being more well-rested once the playoffs get here.
Marner Re-Signs in Toronto
The biggest storyline entering the 2024-25 season was what the Maple Leafs would do with Mitch Marner. The 27-year-old, who is having his best season to date with 50 points through 37 games, is set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this summer. The Maple Leafs’ tricky cap situation, paired with Marner’s well-documented playoff struggles, had many thinking he’d be wearing a different jersey in 2025-26.
While signing Marner won’t be an easy feat, his play this season is reminding everyone from fans to the front office of just how elite of a talent he is. These aren’t the types of players organizations generally walk away from, and the Maple Leafs would be making a mistake doing so. Perhaps a big playoff performance from Marner will be enough for the front office to do whatever it takes to keep him around for the long term.
Nicholas Robertson Gets Traded
The Maple Leafs are going to do what they can to add a piece or two ahead of the trade deadline, though doing so won’t be easy due to their salary cap situation. They’ll also need to add some pieces of their own that other teams find valuable to make such a trade happen, and one piece who Treliving is likely to part ways with is Nicholas Robertson.
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Robertson hasn’t worked out in Toronto, but he’s still just 23 years old. He has plenty of skill, and a rebuilding team would be willing to take a chance on him. Of course, other pieces may also have to be moved as Robertson has a cap hit of just $875,000, but his time with the Maple Leafs will likely come to an end soon. If he isn’t moved at the deadline, the two sides are likely to part ways in the offseason.
Huge Year for the Maple Leafs
Because of all the playoff struggles the Maple Leafs have endured with their core group, this season feels like it could be the last opportunity for them to make some noise in the postseason. If they fail to do so once again, there could be some major changes coming. Knowing that could be the motivation this group needs to finally pull through and prove they are capable of winning a Stanley Cup.
