Will the Maple Leafs Make the Playoffs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have, unsurprisingly, been one of the most active teams early in the offseason, but will the sweeping changes be enough to return to the playoffs? 

Taking a look at the Maple Leafs’ playoff odds, I analyze their chances of returning to the dance.

Maple Leafs Playoff Odds: Will the Buds Make the Playoffs? 

I predict the Maple Leafs will return to the playoffs in the 2026-27 season. 

They have -120 hockey odds at the BetMGM sportsbook to make the playoffs, which carry an implied probability of 54.64%. 

Through the flurry of early moves, general manager John Chayka has made it clear that the Maple Leafs have no intention of rebuilding and remain in the win-now window. 

While the Maple Leafs’ odds to win the Stanley Cup, which carry a 3.23% probability, put into context where their chances of ending the 59-year drought stand, I’m confident they’ll make the playoffs. 

Jim Hiller should have a healthy Auston Matthews, Anthony Stolarz, and Chris Tanev to work with, massively bolstering the team’s playoff aspirations from the outset. 

The recent acquisitions of Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning and Emil Andrae from the Philadelphia Flyers should also help. 

Will Sergei Bobrovsky be the Maple Leafs No. 1? 

There’s also the recent addition of Sergei Bobrovsky to consider. The back-to-back Stanley Cup winner brings veteran leadership and unsurpassed playoff experience. Of course, they have to get to the promised land for the chance to cash in on the latter. 

But can Bobrovsky become the No. 1 netminder in Toronto after arguably his worst regular season? 

The spot is certainly up for grabs, with Stolarz playing poorly when he wasn’t nursing an injury. 

Bobrovsky, 37, has a fresh lease on life, and that makes all the difference in certain circumstances. The Maple Leafs will be hoping Bob saves his best for last, providing the platform for a successful playoff run or two before the sun sets on his venerable career. 

The Gavin McKenna Era

It might take some time for Gavin McKenna to adapt to life in the NHL. 

That was the case when the Maple Leafs’ No. 1 draft pick made the jump from the WHL to the NCAA, as he struggled to cope with the age difference and physicality in the embryonic stage of his only season playing for Penn State. 

After McKenna came to terms with the changes, he was electric. 

Playing alongside Matthews should expedite the transition, and I’m sure the Maple Leafs captain will very quickly reap the rewards of receiving the biscuit from the most promising young setup man. 

While I don’t foresee the Maple Leafs going beyond the second round of the playoffs, unless playoff Bob performs as he did in consecutive postseasons in Florida, the Maple Leafs should be playoff-bound in Hiller’s first year at the helm. 

It’s one of the best to-make-the-playoffs bets on the board.