Maple Leafs can't escape the Florida Panthers as the battle shifts from playoff heartbreak to lottery odds
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Florida Panthers are collapsing in the standings without their top veterans and that is seriously hurting Toronto's draft odds. Ironic, the team that knocked the Maple Leafs out of the playoffs last year might now cost them a franchise prospect too.
To say that the Florida Panthers aren't whole without Sasha Barkov is an understatement. One of the best players in the world and such a core part of the team's identity, his season-long injury has led to a free-fall in the standings.
Florida is free-falling in the standings and every Panthers loss hurts Toronto's odds
Much like the Maple Leafs, the Panthers are defying expectations for all the wrong reasons, but this is something that could come back to bite Toronto worse than any playoff loss could.
With the Panthers sitting a point behind Toronto, their race to the bottom is slightly better, and with how the Maple Leafs have suddenly turned on the jets despite needing to do the opposite - Florida could leapfrog them in draft odds.
That means their Top-10 protected pick is all theirs, and gives the Maple Leafs even worse odds at getting into the Top-5. With Barkov out, Brad Marchand suffering with injuries, and the white flag all but waved, this is a Panthers team who knows their role is to play spoiler.
It could be argued that Toronto has the easier schedule due to them playing more teams under .500, and with their newfound intensity it means that they could find themselves with more winning opportunities; not conducive to a Top-5 chance.
The twisted reality is this: The team that ended Toronto's season last year could also destroy their future
How about last season huh? Has everyone gotten over the sting of the fact Toronto held not only a two-game series lead but they were up 3-1 in game three, only to lose 5-4 in OT?
Toronto very easily could have made it past Florida, and had a much easier time against Carolina. Not only would that have been a less difficult lineup match-up, but the level of 'dirty' players on Carolina doesn't even sniff the Panthers.
If Anthony Stolarz was really healthy and ready for game seven, that means he would have been ready for Carolina. With how his season had played out up to that point - Toronto could be looking at a Cup Finals appearance.
It's a sick sort of synchronicity. The team who cost Toronto the chance at a Cup has a very good chance at costing them a superstar prospect. No matter where Florida is headed, their goal is to take the Maple Leafs down.
Whether it's directly against them, or whether it's due to a brutal coincidence, the Florida Panthers continue to be a thorn in the side of Toronto wherever they go.
But this latest development could lead to the worst result of all: No future.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
MARS 18|823 ANSWERS Maple Leafs can't escape the Florida Panthers as the battle shifts from playoff heartbreak to lottery odds Will Florida end up ruining Toronto's chances for a Top-Five pick? | ||
| Yes | 524 | 63.7 % |
| No | 299 | 36.3 % |
| List of polls | ||