Toronto’s thorny offseason ahead. Plus: Updated Conn Smythe rankings

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Good morning! Today marks Day 34 of the NHL playoffs, and we’re under a month from the Stanley Cup being hoisted. But we’re going to start with something different, as there’s a team on fire in my backyard again…

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Remaking the Maple Leafs

The fallout from Toronto’s ugly Game 7 loss last weekend is playing out already with some “Game of Thrones”-level intrigue. Maple Leafs ownership has a board meeting scheduled for today where they’ll discuss the path forward, including the future of longtime president Brendan Shanahan.

It’s likely his time is up after 11 years with only two playoff series wins, with an announcement possible at any time. Shanahan has already been given permission to speak with the New York Islanders about their top hockey ops role, which was vacated when they fired Lou Lamoriello last month.

(There’s some circularity here: Lamoriello was the Leafs’ GM until 2018, when he was let go by Shanahan, who could now become the second consecutive Toronto exec brought in to try to right the ship on Long Island.)

Shanahan wouldn’t be the GM in New York, however. Lightning AGM Mathieu Darche appears to be the front-runner for that role, although the situation is fluid.

The Leafs are expected to move forward without a president for now, with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley assuming an active role above GM Brad Treliving. MLSE is going to be making cuts throughout the organization in the weeks to come; this would be just the start of the streamlining.

With 40 days until the opening of free agency, there’s serious urgency here for both franchises to figure out their hierarchies quickly.

No team is going to have a more interesting and complicated offseason than the Leafs, who could have $22 million in salary open up if both Mitch Marner and John Tavares don’t return. Tavares is far more likely to be back than Marner, who would become the NHL’s top UFA on July 1.

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While you were sleeping

Western Conference: Stars lead series 1-0

What a wild one last night in Dallas.

At first, it looked like it was going to be the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl show again in Game 1, with Draisaitl setting the tone with this ridiculous snipe just 10 minutes in.

Down 3-1 after the second period, however, the Stars stormed back with three power-play goals in under six minutes to open the third. Dallas has been incredibly dominant on the man advantage all playoffs, converting at 35 percent after 14 games.

Edmonton found out the hard way in what became a 6-3 loss that they’re going to need to be more disciplined than this given the offensive depth the Stars have added.

Mikko Rantanen picked up a lone assist in the game to narrowly hold off Draisaitl (three points) and McDavid (two) for the playoff scoring lead. This is going to be quite the heavyweight superstar battle, as the Stars look better built to deal with Edmonton than in last year’s six-game series, which went the Oilers’ way.

Game 2 goes tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.

Eastern Conference: Panthers lead series 1-0

Game 1 on Tuesday in Raleigh had a bit of deja vu to it. Playing on one day’s rest after ending the Leafs’ dreams, the Panthers stomped Carolina 5-2 in a game that looked a lot like when they swept them in the conference finals two years ago.

It was the 13th (!) consecutive loss in Round 3 for the Hurricanes, who could be swept a fourth consecutive time in the round before the final.

• No, that’s not normal: A streak like that has actually never happened in the Big Four sports before. MLB’s Boston Red Sox and the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks have lost 10 such games in a row, but Carolina’s in uncharted territory at a baker’s dozen and counting.

Florida has been on fire on the road, averaging 4.75 red lights 🚨 per game away from home, the fifth-highest mark in NHL history. The Panthers have 17 goals in their last three road games, including the soul-crushing blowouts in Toronto.

You can see now why the division title wasn’t top of mind for Florida late in the year. When you’ve made the final as an eighth seed in the past, regular-season wins just don’t have the same pull.

Game 2 goes tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

Stanley Cup odds after Round 3, Game 1

1. Panthers 38% (last won: 2024)
2. Stars 28% (last won: 1999)
3. Oilers 19% (last won: 1990)
4. Hurricanes 15% (last won: 2006)

Our probabilities are updated daily here.

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Coast to Coast

🌼 Marc-Andre Fleury closing out his career on a star-studded World Championship team over in Sweden has been a great side story to watch during these playoffs. Josh Yohe captures that angle well here. One more year for Flower?

🤔 Shayna Goldman compares the 2025 and 2026 free-agent classes and digs into the risk involved if teams try to wait for the latter’s deeper group.

🦁 Speaking of big-name pursuits: Pierre LeBrun has a sitdown with new LA Kings GM Ken Holland and that certainly seems to be on his mind. Maybe he’s interested in an ex-Leaf or two?

🏒 Hailey Salvian has the story of the making of the Ottawa Charge, who have a 1-0 lead in the PWHL finals. Game 2 is tonight in Ottawa at 5 p.m. ET.

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Final Four Watch(ing)

Are you not entertained?

TV ratings for Round 2 were down in the U.S. and up in Canada, in part thanks to the Leafs making a rare appearance past the first round. Without them, however, the NHL is down to four smaller TV market audiences, and interest on a national scale could wane.

It certainly doesn’t help that all four of the U.S. Original Six teams missed the playoffs for the first time in league history.

These have been some of the highest-scoring playoffs in years, and the level of play has been excellent, but I wonder if another factor potentially hurting interest is that there’s a lot of sameness to the final four.

• This is only the second time in the last 33 years that three of the final four teams are repeaters, with Stars-Oilers a do-over from last season and Florida attempting to make the final a third consecutive time.
• If we somehow end up with an Oilers-Panthers final again, it would be only the second repeat matchup in the championship series (after Red Wings-Penguins in 2009) since the legendary Oilers-Islanders battles in the early ‘80s.

The NHL is in an era of parity overall, but the final four teams have done a nice job separating from the pack, as they sit Nos. 1 through 4 in playoff wins over the past four seasons:

1. Florida: 42 wins in 68 games
2. Edmonton: 37 in 65 games
3. Dallas 32 in 59 games
4. Carolina 29 in 51 games
5. Colorado 28 in 45 games

Called Smythe: Who’s leading our MVP watch?

With Round 3 underway, it’s time for our (somewhat) weekly Conn Smythe ranking. Extra points go to players on teams that are ahead in their series. As always, direct all complaints to Sean McIndoe on social media:

1. Mikko Rantanen, Dallas
2. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton
3. Connor McDavid, Edmonton
4. Brad Marchand, Florida
5. Jake Oettinger, Dallas
6. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida
7. Seth Jarvis, Carolina
8. Aleksander Barkov, Florida
9. Thomas Harley, Dallas
10. Frederik Andersen, Carolina

Trivia time 🧠: McDavid can join a club with only three other players in NHL history if he wins playoff MVP back-to-back. It happened once in the ‘70s, once in the ‘90s and once in the past decade. Can you name them? (Hint: It’s not Wayne Gretzky.)

The 🚨 Statpack

The folks at the NHL stats department have been cranking out the hits lately. Here are a few interesting ones that caught my attention this week:

1. “The 2025 playoffs mark the third time in NHL history that three of the final four teams were from the Sun Belt, all of which occurred in the past six postseasons.” No one would have believed you if you came up with that stat back in 1999, when Dallas won the Sun Belt’s first Cup. Now it’s the new normal.

2. “Sergei Bobrovsky surpassed Gerry Cheevers (53) and tied Terry Sawchuk (54) for 19th place in wins in playoffs history.” The Russian Gumby keeps building his HHOF case even at age 36. Seven more wins and he’ll catch Henrik Lundqvist and Tom Barrasso in 15th.

3. “Logan Stankoven joined Ville Leino as the second player to skate in a Western and Eastern Conference Final as a rookie (since 1994).” Let’s hope things turn out a bit better for Stankoven. But what a weird accomplishment.

Trivia answer: Bernie Parent in the ‘70s, Mario Lemieux in the ‘90s and Sidney Crosby in the 2010s. (Apparently it’s only a Pennsylvania thing.)

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(Top photo of Brendan Shanahan: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

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