Heartache continues for the Toronto Maple Leafs after yet another disappointing early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs. While Toronto managed to advance to the second round and push the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to Game 7, they were heavily outplayed in three of the seven contests and ultimately eliminated in a 6-1 drubbing in the final game of the series.
While taking the defending champs to seven games in the second round would be considered a success for many NHL teams, expectations for the Leafs were sky-high heading into the season. Early on, Toronto was +1000 to win the 2025 Stanley Cup, which put the Leafs among the top five contenders to open the season. They had made the postseason in eight straight years entering this season, but only made it to the second round once during that span. Fans and bettors expected Toronto to take the next step in 2025, but were once again let down by the boys in blue and white.Now that the Leafs have entered their offseason, management is faced with many franchise-altering decisions, including the future of unrestricted free agents Mitch Marner and veteran John Tavares. Both are part of the Leafs’ “Core Four” superstar forwards, who’ve been unable to deliver postseason results since this top-heavy plan was hatched by Leafs’ president Brendan Shanahan several years ago. They’re also faced with resigning Matthew Knies, who has shown grit and a propensity to score big goals when some higher profile players have faltered.
Regardless of the path they choose, Leafs Nation will expect changes after a ninth straight year of playoff disappointment, and that will have a ripple effect on the hockey betting markets. We’ll review the Leafs’ 2024-25 season, including the most humbling two games on their schedule, and highlight their top players. We’ll close out with the best hockey bets on the market for NHL fans everywhere—all you need is an account set up at Bodog Sportsbook to play.
Season Review
By all accounts the Leafs’ regular season was a tremendous success. They finished first in the Atlantic Division for the first time since 1999-2000, when they were actually part of the Northeast Division (Covid-19-shortened 2020-21 season not included). They were a picture of consistency all year with no major losing streaks to speak of.
That success was possible because they emphasized bolstering their defensive core in the 2024 offseason. They acquired 34-year-old Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars to balance a riskier pairing with his shutdown physicality, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was part of the Florida Panthers’ 2024 Stanley Cup-winning roster.
In addition to the improved blue line, the Leafs acquired netminder Anthony Stolarz, who backed up Sergei Bobrovsky with the Panthers the year prior. The goaltending duo of Stolarz and Joseph Woll proved effective, as Stolarz boasted the top save percentage (.926%) in the league during the regular season.
At the other end of the ice, offence has never been Toronto’s failing and this season was no different. With their captain out for long stretches of the regular season due to injury (15 games missed in total), the Leafs were still able to put up an average of 3.26 goals per game, which was good for seventh in the league. The vacancy opened things up for Mitch Marner, who led the team with 102 points on the season, and was complemented by William Nylander (45 goals), and developing fan favourite Matthew Knies (29 goals, 58 points).
As divisional champs, Toronto finished with 108 points and carried that strong play into the first round, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 to win the Battle of Ontario. The momentum continued into the second round, with the Leafs winning the first two games against the Florida Panthers. But Games 3, 4 and 5 surfaced Toronto’s old habits as they failed to show the level of urgency needed to win against the best teams in the playoffs.
Nowhere was this more evident than on home ice where Leafs fans voiced their displeasure with their team’s effort by throwing jerseys on the ice and raining boos down on the Buds. The nail was definitively put in the Leafs’ coffin after a lifeless Game 7 in which Toronto failed to show any signs of fight.
Best Players
The Maple Leafs roster was built by Brendan Shanahan to be top heavy, focused on “The Core Four” of Matthews, Marner, Tavares and Nylander. And while the Leafs have made the playoffs in each of the previous nine seasons, too often fans watched one or more of the Core Four slip into the shadows when they were needed the most.
As a result, it appears that Mitch Marner will walk as a free agent and not return to the Leafs next season. That will leave 100+ point hole in the Leafs’ offence and change the makeup of one of the league’s most dynamic forward groups. At the same time, Marner’s $11 million cap hit will come off the Leafs’ payroll and give management an opportunity to sign another superstar free agent or improve the team’s roster balance by acquiring multiple mid-tier players.
Another pending free agent from their core is John Tavares, the captain of five years before it was awarded to Matthews. After seven years with the Leafs, Tavares has completed his contract and has talked with the media about his future with the franchise. Tavares simply stated that he’s had positive conversations with management and has expressed his desire to stay in Toronto.
Worst Moment
It’s hard to say which game Leafs fans suffered more in: Game 5 or 7 in their second-round series against the Panthers. Both games ended with the same 6-1 loss as the Leafs rolled over and submitted to the defending champions.
Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews had particularly poor performances in these games. Marner carried on his track record of breaking down in Games 5, 6 and 7. In Game 5, Marner made a blind backhand pass into the neutral zone that was picked off and led to a third straight Panthers goal. In the third period, they were visibly checked out of the game and had no pushback.
Matthews, meanwhile, managed just one goal in the entire semi-final series, which came in Toronto’s Game 6 victory. In 12 playoff games this postseason, the captain scored just three times.
The fans disgruntled reactions peaked in Game 7. Booing was audible, and jerseys, among other debris, were thrown on the home ice. A mass exit capped things off as empty seats showed the lack of patience and support from the disappointed fanbase. Leafs fans had enough.
Odds for Next Season
Once this postseason wraps up, odds for next year will be available for early birds. Off-season hockey betting offers great value, making it possible to bet on a substantial number of teams for the 2026 Stanley Cup.
Bodog’s Best Bets
There’s more than just Stanley Cup betting markets to add to your NHL bet slip.
Win Totals
Every team is assigned a win total at the start of a fresh season, and that lets you weigh in on how you think the regular season will go for each club. The Leafs are coming off of a 52-win season—the best regular season result since 2021-22 when they registered 54 wins on the year. There’s no doubt that they’re a high-calibre regular season team capable of racking up significant point totals and pushing for top spot in the Atlantic year after year.
Division Winners
A little less daunting than trying to predict the Stanley Cup winner is the division winner betting market. All you have to do is pick the team you think will win each division. Toronto winning the Atlantic title this season was an anomaly, but it could happen again next season.
Making the Postseason
Each conference sees eight teams make the postseason every year, and the only thing better than seeing your team punch its ticket is winning a payout as part of the celebration. All teams in the league have odds to make the postseason until they’re eliminated from contention. When the postseason rolls around, winning bets are paid based on the odds locked in at the time of your bet. If you predict a long shot overcoming the odds, you get an extra big payout on top of bragging rights. Whether you follow the Leafs or any other hockey franchise, Bodog Sportsbook is your one-stop shop for all hockey betting markets. On top of the futures mentioned above, you’ll find daily gamelines, player and team props, and awards betting, such as the Conn Smythe, Calder Memorial and Art Ross trophies. There’s no better way to test your hockey instinct than with some shrewd bets, so make them today and get paid if they pan out.
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