The2020–21 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the104th season for theNational Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on November 22, 1917.[1]
Due to theCanada–U.S. border restrictions brought in as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Maple Leafs were re-aligned with the other six Canadian franchises into the newly formedNorth Division. The league's 56-game season was played entirely within the new divisions, meaning that Toronto and the other Canadian teams played an all-Canadian schedule for the 2020–21 regular season as well as the first two rounds of the2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The team saw tremendous success during the course of the regular season, clinching a playoff berth on April 28 after a 4–1 win against theMontreal Canadiens, one of the first teams in the league to do so.[2] Then on May 8, again versus Montreal, they clinched the North Division with a 3–2 win, which was their first division championship since2000.[3]Auston Matthews recorded a league high 41 goals, becoming the first player in team history to win theMaurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, and was also named a finalist for theTed Lindsay Award, given to the league's most outstanding player as voted on by players. Additionally,Mitch Marner and Matthews both finished top five in league scoring (placing fourth and fifth, respectively). The team however disappointed in the playoffs; after going up 3–1 in their First Round series against the Montreal Canadiens, Torontowas defeated in seven games.[4] It was the fifth consecutive year that the Maple Leafs lost in the opening round of the postseason and the fourth consecutive year they were eliminated in the final, winner-take-all game.
Source: National Hockey League[6] Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF) x – Clinched playoff spot;y – Clinched division
(M) Player currently playing for the minor league affiliateToronto Marlies of theAHL (X) Player is no longer with the Maple Leafs organization (p) Player previously played with another team in the current season before being acquired by Toronto Bold/italics denotes franchise record.
The Leafs held on to three of their own seven picks (rounds 4, 5, 6). In June 2019 they had traded way their first and seventh round picks along withPatrick Marleau to theCarolina Hurricanes mainly to clear cap space. On draft day they exchanged their second round pick for two lower picks from theOttawa Senators. Their third round pick went to theColorado Avalanche in July 2019 in theNazem Kadri forTyson Barrie andAlexander Kerfoot trade. They acquired an additional nine picks this year through various trades.
TheNew York Islanders' second-round pick went to theToronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on October 7, 2020, that sent a 2020 second-round pick (44th overall) to Ottawa in exchange for a 2020 third-round pick (64th overall) and this pick.[104]
Ottawa previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 24, 2020, that sentJean-Gabriel Pageau to New York in exchange for a conditional 2020 first-round pick, a conditional third-round pick in2022 and this pick.[105]
TheOttawa Senators' third-round pick went to theToronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on October 7, 2020, that sent a 2020 second-round pick (44th overall) to Ottawa in exchange for the Islanders' 2020 second-round pick (59th overall) and this pick.[104]
TheToronto Maple Leafs' fifth-round pick was re-acquired as the result of a trade on October 7, 2020, that sent Vegas' fifth-round pick and St. Louis' seventh-round pick both in 2020 (153rd and 212th overall) to Florida in exchange for this pick.[107]
Florida previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on December 29, 2018, that sentMichael Hutchinson to Toronto in exchange for this pick.[108]
TheCarolina Hurricanes' sixth-round pick went to theToronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on June 22, 2019, that sentPatrick Marleau, a conditional 2020 first-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick to Carolina in exchange for this pick.[109]
TheWinnipeg Jets' seventh-round pick went to theToronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on May 30, 2019, that sentFedor Gordeev to Minnesota in exchange for this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade).[112] The condition – Toronto will receive Winnipeg's 2020 seventh-round pick if Gordeev signs with the Wild before June 1, 2019 – was converted on May 30, 2019.[113]
Minnesota previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 25, 2019, that sentMatt Hendricks to Winnipeg in exchange for this pick.[114]
TheBoston Bruins' seventh-round pick went to theToronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on October 7, 2020, that sent a seventh-round pick in2021 to Boston in exchange for this pick.[115]
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