X – Maple Leafs clinch a playoff spot for the eighth straight season
Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly & Auston Matthews have played in all 50 playoff games in this era
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 6, 2024
Currently on a 104-point pace, the 2023-24 Maple Leafs were not as straightforward of a playoff bet during the calendar year 2023. On the one hand, it’s disappointing they weren’t a divisional playoff spot shoo-in as of Christmas as in past seasons. Viewed in another light, when we consider the following adverse developments, it’s impressive we’re talking about a roughly 105-point Leafs team that safely clinched with two weeks left in the regular season:
– The Leafs are sixth in the NHL for the most man games lost to injury
– A hip injury debilitated their biggest FA addition on defense and almost immediately placed on Long Term Injured Reserve to start the new campaign
– Their biggest forward UFA additions, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, started the season with six goals in 51 games and zero goals in 21 games, respectively.