Will the Toronto Maple Leafs be considered a failure? Analyzing the ramifications of getting eliminated

The Toronto Maple Leafs advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 19 years. But just a couple of weeks after the party in Ontario, the Leafs are hanging on by a thread. They are trailing the Florida Panthers 3-1 in their second-round series.

So while Toronto has done something historic and finally broken the curse, how far do they need to go to not be considered a failure? And how far do they need to advance to avoid monumental changes within the organization?

The Leafs are the largest market in the NHL. And with that, comes the largest amount of pressure. General manager Kyle Dubas has taken a ton of heat throughout his career but will also be remembered as the man who brought Toronto out of the abyss.

Looking ahead, the Leafs are not out of this series. We have already seen Florida storm back from 3-1 against the Boston Bruins in the first round, and while unlikely, Toronto is still alive and looking to become just the fourth team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. So what if 199 others failed?

But if the Toronto Maple Leafs do not make the full comeback, how many wins do they need to sidestep being called a failure and avoid breaking up a large portion of this team?

Toronto has 10 players that will become unrestricted free agents after the season. After that, they have 11 on expiring contracts either in 2024-25 or 2025-26. Among these, are some big names (Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Ryan O'Reilly, Michael Bunting, and Jake Muzzin). Also set to expire is the contracts of Kyle Dubas (2022-23) and head coach Sheldon Keefe (2023-24).

Could the Toronto Maple Leafs see massive changes with a second-round loss?

What does this all mean? It means that if the Toronto Maple Leafs view their 2022-23 playoff run as a failure, there could be many new faces in the organization at the start of next season. From top to bottom.

So what will be seen as a failure?

They have already scratched their way to a Game 4 victory to avoid a sweep. Do they need to win one more? Force a Game 7? Perform well in a Game 7 loss? Or is it simply win or bust for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

We will have to wait to find out.

“We're just going to keep fighting,” Leafs forward John Tavares said.