LongtimeLeafsufferer
Joined: Jul. 2015
Posts: 59,491
Likes: 22,664
Leafs barely made the playoffs last year. After a quick start in fall of 2018, they stumbled the rest of the season. Due to cap reasons, they lost Zaitsev, Hainsey and Gardiner and replaced with three inferior Men. Barrie, Ceci and Holl.
So if you looked at the team objectively in October they were going to be a real dog fight to make the playoffs this year. Then with injuries to Hyman, Dermot, Tavares, Marner, Muzzin, Moore, Mikheyvov, and Reilly, they are in a very precarious position to make the playoffs.
Actually I'm more optimistic about the Leafs next year (though I don't know the roster) than I am with the group this year.