While the NHL's best teams are currently battling for the Stanley Cup, teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs are focused on next season.
There is a lot of work to do in Toronto this offseason. As it stands, the club has no permanent general manager or head coach, as Dave Nonis and Peter Horachek were fired in early April.
The team has to upgrade its personnel significantly. It's never easy to do this quickly, so expectations should be tempered for diehard Leafs fans for at least the next season—if not longer.
It's a bitter pill to swallow for the most loyal fans, but if things are done right, the team could be a playoff contender in another season or two.