$22,565,510 D-man 'expects' Toronto Maple Leafs to clinch playoff spot against rivals Florida Panthers

By Zachary Roberts

Modified Apr 02, 2025 17:28 GMT

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. It's a huge matchup in what has been one of the most competitive divisions in the sport. The Leafs lead the Atlantic by one point and all three teams at the top are separated by two points.

Should Toronto win the home game, it will at least clinch a playoff spot. The Maple Leafs are all but guaranteed to get in, but a victory would ensure they're in and can start worrying about seeding.

Jake McCabe, the Toronto defenseman who is on a five-year $22,565,510 contract, said his team is confident that it will handle the Panthers and get the playoff spot.

“It’s something we expect around here," McCabe said on Wednesday, via Leafslatest. "Having an ‘X’ next to our spot in the standings is always a good feeling.”

The Leafs lead the Tampa Bay Lightning by one point, and the Lightning are ahead of the Panthers by one point. A win by Florida would vault the team back into a tie for first and temporarily put off Toronto from clinching the playoffs.

A win by the Maple Leafs would put them four points up on the Panthers, and at least before Thursday's game, three points up on the Lightning. McCabe believes that won't matter, as he's confident they'll win and won't have to consider a tie atop the standings.

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NHL insider believes Toronto Maple Leafs are set up well

If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to make some noise in the playoffs, it's going to come down to their stars playing like stars. One NHL insider thinks they'll be able to do just that.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of talent (Imagn)

On Tuesday's edition of "Real Kyper and Bourne," Anthony Petrielli described Toronto's top line as "legitimate."

"Their top six is really good," Petrielli said. "Their top six, on paper, is fantastic. The McMann-Tavares-Nylander line is winning their minutes. The top line is a legitimate top line — one of the best in the league."

The trio of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies is second to none in Petrielli's eyes, but the second line is where the team is winning.

"I think it might be the best second line they’ve ever had going into the playoffs," Petrielli said. "I don’t know if that is a controversial take. Nylander is second in the league in goals. Tavares is shooting the lights out this year. McMann is a legitimate 20-goal power forward. It is probably the best second line they’ve ever had going into the playoffs."

With a win on Wednesday, that top six that is valuable to the Maple Leafs can guarantee that they'll get into the playoffs.