The Toronto Maple Leafs officially clinched a spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs with an impressive win over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

In arguably the most crucial game of the season so far, the Leafs rose to the occasion and stepped up in the moments that mattered. The Panthers may be battered and bruised at the moment, but that didn’t make the task any easier and they gave the Leafs a good fight right until the final buzzer.

This big win also created some separation in the Atlantic Division race with Toronto currently holding 54.5 percent odds of winning their division prior to Thursday’s games, according to MoneyPuck. They certainly have a good shot of cinching their first proper division title since the 1999-2000 season but it is not a surefire thing, which means that who exactly the Leafs will face in the first round won’t be known until closer to the end of the regular season.

While the Eastern Conference playoff picture has yet to fully form, there are six potential opponents that the Leafs could square off against in a few weeks. All of these opponents would no doubt be a good challenge for Toronto, though some would certainly be more difficult than others. Below are the rankings from which would be the most favourable matchup to the most difficult, with the stats current as of April 3rd.

Why the Canadiens are dangerous: The Canadiens have been playing some inspired hockey in recent weeks and have picked up impressive wins along the way. They are a young and hungry team playing with house money, which is a dangerous combination for a team like the Leafs with higher expectations. Rookie sensation Lane Hutson is the most impressive of the bunch, though Montreal certainly has other quality players that can’t be ignored in Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Patrik Laine among others.

Why the Leafs could defeat them: There is a steep drop-off in quality beyond their key players and they are among the weakest defensive teams in contention for a playoff spot in the East. Sam Montembeault certainly has his moments of brilliance like shutting out the Leafs on opening night, but he is far from unbeatable. Montreal may have the best defenceman of both teams combined, but Toronto has the edge across the board

Verdict: Toronto knows all too well what happens when they let Montreal get hot in a playoff series, but history won’t repeat itself this time around. The Canadiens may get a win or two, but the Leafs should get the job done in a hypothetical series.

Why the Blue Jackets are dangerous: The Blue Jackets have given the Leafs fits in the previous two matchups this season and for the past few years in general. Zach Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, and Adam Fantilli could be a matchup nightmare for the Leafs, and there’s a quality supporting cast surrounding them. Dean Evason has done a great job of helping get a battered team to start believing again and that will make them a tough out.

Why the Leafs could defeat them: Special teams matchups are always a pivotal factor in deciding who wins a playoff series and the Leafs have the edge. Their power play has been dynamic and that would be an ideal matchup going up against Columbus’ PK unit that ranks in the bottom 10 of the NHL. Of all the starting goalies in these rankings, Elvis Merzlikins is the weakest of the lot from a statistical standpoint which is an area that can be exploited.

Verdict: This series certainly has the potential to be a massive upset given how the previous two games between them went, and this has all the makings of going for six or seven games. But the Leafs should be able to get the job done, especially given they won’t have to play Dennis Hildeby as they did in the earlier encounters.

Why the Rangers are dangerous: The Rangers may not be the President’s Trophy-winning team they were a season ago, but that doesn’t mean they will be an easy out. For starters, Igor Shesterkin is capable of stepping up his game in the playoffs and has it in him to carry his team deep into spring. There are plenty of strong talents that could give the Leafs fits in Artemi Panarin, J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck. With New York starting to hit their stride in the stretch run, they have the makings of being the 2023 Panthers should they reach the postseason.

Why the Leafs could defeat them: As mentioned earlier, these Rangers are not the same team that topped the NHL standings last season which makes them a lot more manageable. Adam Fox may still be their most productive defenceman but he has been struggling in his end so that could result in a favourable matchup for the Leafs offensively. There is also a pretty steep drop-off in quality beyond the nucleus, combined with an anemic power play that is among the worst-ranked in the league.

Verdict: This has the makings of an exciting series on paper, and that is typically the case when two Original Six teams square off. All three games were relatively close affairs and this series could also follow that trend, though who wins depends on which team’s netminder shows up.

Why the Lightning are dangerous: Tampa Bay leads the NHL in goals and boasts one of the best power-play units in the NHL. Andrei Vasilevskiy is once again playing like the best goalie in the world, Nikita Kucherov is leading the league in scoring, and they are getting great performances out of Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point, and Jake Guentzel. With a sturdy defence core led by Victor Hedman and great coaching from Jon Cooper, the Lightning have all the ingredients needed to go on another deep playoff run.

Why the Leafs could defeat them: While Tampa Bay has been one of the best teams in the NHL this season, they have struggled against the Leafs in all three of their previous encounters. Toronto always seems to play them well and raise their game as evidenced by their impressive win against the Lightning back in October. Given how the previous series went where the Leafs made Vasilevskiy look human and pulled off some stunning comebacks, Toronto would have the mental edge in this series.

Verdict: This would certainly be a coin-flip series and either outcome would not be surprising given how talented both teams are. But the Leafs would surely like their chances based solely on the aforementioned mental edge.

Why the Senators are dangerous: The Senators have won five consecutive games and six of the past seven games against the Leafs dating back to last season. No matter where the teams are in the standings, Ottawa always seems to have Toronto’s number and raises their game. They have gotten stellar goaltending from Linus Ullmark, solid production out of Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson, and their captain Brady Tkachuk showed he will be a difference-maker in the playoffs based on his showing at the 4 Nations. Combined with a sturdy defence led by Jake Sanderson, the Senators may be a a nightmare scenario for the Leafs.

Why the Leafs could defeat them: Ottawa may be solid in the infrequent encounters, but their roster’s overall lack of playoff experience gives the Leafs a slight edge. The Senators can also be a streaky team as evidenced by their goal totals being the lowest of all six teams, suggesting that they are the most prone to be goalied. If nothing else, the playoff history is on the Leafs’ side with all four prior postseason encounters resulting in Toronto advancing.

Verdict: This will boil down to special teams and goaltending since both are comfortable playing low-event hockey, meaning the outcome could go either way. The Leafs have the better roster on paper but the Senators hold the mental edge based on the past few years. If Toronto emerge victorious, it will be by the skin of its teeth.

Why the Panthers are dangerous: They are the defending Stanley Cup champions and look primed to go for a repeat as well as their third consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. Florida may be missing a lot of regulars at the moment but the roster always seems to step up and give opponents everything they have, and they will be even better once Matthew Tkachuk returns from injury and Aaron Ekblad finishes his suspension. They have the perfect balance of skill, physicality, snarl, and sturdiness that all Cup-aspiring teams hope to have. Add in Sergei Bobrovsky once again looking like a man possessed and the Panthers are once again the team to beat in the East.

Why the Leafs could defeat them: Florida has enjoyed a lot of success in recent years, but the physical toll of multiple lengthy playoff runs will eventually catch up to them. Reigning Stanley Cup winners over the past 25 years have found themselves ousted early in the following playoff and the Leafs will hope that history is on their side in a potential matchup. Plus, they showed the blueprint for how they can defeat the Panthers: beating them at their own game of capitalizing on mistakes.

Verdict: A win over the Panthers is far from impossible but it is also a daunting task, especially in the first round. The Leafs would much prefer the two teams square off later in the postseason, though the previous encounter in 2023 shows it would also be a tough hill to climb. Beating a team equivalent to their boogyman in the Boston Bruins would surely be a huge confidence boost if they can pull it off.