It’s official. The year of 2024 has come to a close, and for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the year had its ups and downs. Star centre Auston Matthews scored 40 of his league leading 69 goals in 2024 last season, however, the Leafs ultimately disappointed in the playoffs again, losing to the Boston Bruins in seven games during the first round.
The end of 2024 was kinder to the Leafs. The team has gone 24–13–2 roughly halfway into the 2024–25 season and are currently tied for the top spot in the Atlantic Division with the Florida Panthers – and they’ve done all that while being without Auston Matthews for 15 of those games due to an upper-body injury.
As we look forward to 2025, what do the Leafs and their fans have in store? Here are four bold predictions for what the new year may bring to hockey’s biggest market.
1. Anthony Stolarz will be the starting goaltender for the Leafs during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs
Coming into this season, many assumed that Joseph Woll would take over the starting goaltender job with the offseason departure of former No. 1 option Ilya Samsonov, especially after Woll performed significantly better than Samsonov in the 2024 postseason. But, with the loss of Samsonov, the team brought in Florida Panthers backup Anthony Stolarz to complete a new tandem with Woll.
Stolarz was coming off a very solid, cup-winning season with the Panthers in which he put up impressive regular season numbers including a .925 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average in 27 games. Stolarz has slightly improved those numbers this season with the Leafs sitting at a .927 Sv% and an identical GAA in 17 games. Better individual stats than the presumptive starter Woll who currently sits at a still solid .917 Sv% and 2.39 GAA in 18 games.
The Woll/Stolarz tandem has been electric for the Leafs which has allowed for the team’s goaltending to currently have the second-best save percentage in the league with .916 and the eighth best goals-against average at 2.74. So, with Stolarz being the man leading that charge between the pipes, we predict that he will end up getting the No. 1 job come playoff time. Even though Stolarz is currently sidelined with a lower-body injury he suffered in mid-December that will require surgery and have him out for 4-6 weeks, we still think that when he gets back he will be just as good and lead the team in net come playoff time, with Woll chipping in a game or two when needed.
2. The Leafs make it to the Eastern Conference final but ultimately fail to reach the Cup final
This prediction is positive given the fact that we predict the Leafs will return to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2002, but the prediction is also negative as we believe that the team will ultimately fall just one series short of their first Stanley Cup final appearance since they won the Cup in 1967. However, we would gladly take a near finals appearance over the underachieving first-round exits that we’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to.
How will it all play out? Well, it will start with the Leafs finishing first in the Atlantic Division and securing home-ice advantage for at least the first two rounds. As of right now, the Leafs would take on the Senators in the first round, and despite their season record against Ottawa currently sitting at a single loss, we think the Leafs should be able to pull out the series victory, likely in six games. Next up would be the biggest test for the Leafs—assuming the Bruins don’t pull off a major upset—a second-round matchup with the defending champion Florida Panthers. Like with their record against the Senators, the Leafs have a 0–1–0 record against Florida this season, but we don’t care. This series will definitely go the full seven games, but with the Leafs having home ice advantage, we predict that they will take the series at Scotiabank Arena.
This is where it gets unfortunate for the Leafs. The Leafs will likely have to play the Washington Capitals or the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference finals, and after a tough battle with Florida, the Leafs will likely be tired heading into the next series. That combined with the Leafs previous playoff demons creeping in and we just can’t see them making it to the Cup final. But, a trip to the Conference final would definitely give the Leafs proof that they should stick with the current direction and make them top contenders for 2025–26.
3. Easton Cowan starts the 2025–26 season on the Leafs’ roster
For the final bold prediction, we were going to put Mitch Marner getting a big payday this offseason, but with him currently leading the team with 51 points, and if the previous prediction comes to fruition, that may not be that bold of a claim. So, we are instead going to say that Leafs prospect will make the NHL roster to start next season, forgoing time with the Marlies and going right in with the big boys.
Cowan was unable to crack the Leafs roster to start this season, and him only being 19 years old, was unable to play in the AHL. Since then though, Cowan has been lighting it up in the OHL. Cowan has scored at least a point in his past 56 regular-season games dating back to November of 2023.
By the time next season rolls around, we think Cowan—who will be 20 in May—will be ready to finally show why the Leafs drafted him during the first round in 2023. While some may think it would be better to have him start in the AHL and get more development against grown men, we think that his skill, combined with the Leafs’ need for greater depth at forward will lead to Cowan getting a shot at the NHL club to start the season.
