The Auston Matthews era of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey, a promising pool of young, talented, future superstars coming into the NHL, could now be on the verge of a collapse. After this past season’s horrific finish, a lot of faith and hope went out the window for Leafs Nation. There are upsides: a new coach, winning the draft lottery with the potential to draft top prospect Gavin McKenna, and a healthy Leafs team; they could look to make the playoffs next season, but that is for another story.
It’s time to reminisce about this Auston Matthews era, with a total of three previous coaches, three previous general managers, and massive trades/offseason storylines. And who could forget about the two first-round playoff series victories against Ottawa and Tampa Bay.Â
Although those were rough moments, there have been some great Leaf teams in this Matthews era that could have, or some say should have, won the Stanley Cup in this time frame. From Babcock to Keefe to Berube, from Lamorello to Dubas to Treliving, there have been solid teams in the Matthews era that had a shot at the Cup. These are our picks.
2020–21 COVID
The 2020–21 season was one of the most unusual and unpredictable seasons that hockey fans could have ever imagined. COVID-19 shocked the entire world and didn’t stop the NHL from finishing the 2019–20 season with “the bubble” playoffs, which finished in September. The league needed to do something for the start of next season, and their plan was this: a 56-game, division-only season that started the following January.Â
As travel restrictions were very present all over the world, the NHL put the Leafs in the “North Division,” which included all the Canadian teams playing nine to 10 times against each other for the season. This was a golden ticket for the Leafs to show why they are Canada’s team, and they did with ease, posting a 35–14–7 record and winning the division title. The team was great, with Matthews scoring 41 goals in 52 games, the emergence of Jack Campbell in net, and the additions of Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton, and Nick Foligno, adding to an already talented team, making it hard not to pick them all the way.
As everyone saw, the same old Leafs came into play as they blew a 3–1 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens, losing Game 7 on home ice. This was the first time since 1979 that the arch-rivals met in the playoffs. This loss stung the most as the Leafs dominated the Habs in the regular season with a record of 7–2–1 but couldn’t win when it mattered the most. The Habs ended up going to the Stanley Cup final, which left questions of what if.
2024–25 Year one Berube
This year’s Leaf team was special. Winning the Atlantic Division title for the first time in franchise history, this felt like the year. Mitch Marner with his first 100-point season in his career, the rise of Anthony Stolarz in net, putting himself in Vezina Trophy talks; and the great roster depth, adding Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline.
The Stars were shining in Round 1, playing the Ottawa Senators, a team the Leafs have dominated in the playoffs in the past. Beat them in six in Ottawa’s home barn; couldn’t have scripted it any better. Heading into the second round against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, the Leafs never backed down. They took a commanding 2–0 lead in the series heading to Florida, up 3–1 in the second period in Game 3… and it all changed in the snap of a finger.
The Panthers won three straight games to take a 3–2 series lead with Game 6 in Florida, but these Leafs pushed and got a tough 2–0 win to bring the series to seven on home ice… and just like against the Habs, the lights were too bright, getting blown out 6–1 in Game 7. And again, just like the Habs, the Panthers went on to the final. If the Leafs won game three after being up 3–1 in the second, they might’ve been the team to break Canada’s drought.
2021–22: Matthews: 60 goals
The 2021–22 season was one of the most entertaining Leafs seasons we’ve seen in the Matthews era. This was Matthews’ best year. 106 points, one of the few people to reach the 60-goal mark in a season, and the first Leaf to do so. Matthews won the Hart Memorial Trophy, the league MVP.
Coming just short of Florida for first place in the division, the Leafs got to face the back-to-back Cup champs, the Tampa Bay Lightning. This series was back and forth, with each team winning one game at a time. This series proved that these Leafs could hang with the big teams.
Just falling short on home ice in game seven, losing to Tampa 2–1, had Leafs fans impressed as they fought a hard series against a great team that, once again, went on to the Stanley Cup final.
Many of the teams the Leafs have lost to in the Matthews era went on to the final. This begs the question: which team should’ve done it?
Answer: 2024–25
The 2024–25 team had the Panthers on their heels in Game 3. Going up 3–0, the Leafs could have ended Florida’s reign. The depth, the goaltending, and the defence—all areas the team needed to improve on—they fixed and could have gone all the way.
We will never know what would have happened had they beaten Florida; all we can do is watch and see another Matthews-era team give it their best shot. And for a fan base that has spent decades chasing answers, hope remains the only certainty.
