New hope emerges for Maple Leafs ahead of postseason

It was a  critical offseason for Toronto Maple Leafs general manger Kyle Dubas, who was given a vote of confidence by team president Brendan Shanahan despite yet another failure to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Needless to say, the 2022-23 season for Dubas could have major implications on his future, especially if the Leafs once again fail in the postseason. For the young Leafs GM, who is entering the final year of his contract, he knows that he'll be held to account for his body of work over the past several years. 

The good news is that, despite a few early bumps in the road, the Leafs are second overall in the Atlantic Division standings, behind that of only the upstart Boston Bruins. But just how far will their regular season successes go in the playoffs this spring? 

According to popular hockey analytics site MoneyPuck, it's the Leafs who currently hold the best odds to win the Stanley Cup, ahead of last year's champion Colorado Avalanche and runner up Tampa Bay Lightning. 

• Toronto Maple Leafs, 8.90%
• Carolina Hurricanes, 8.80%
• Boston Bruins, 8.60%
• Tampa Bay Lightning, 8.30%
• Minnesota Wild, 7.70%
• New Jersey Devils, 7.50%
• Calgary Flames, 7.30%
• Vegas Golden Knights, 6.90%
• Seattle Kraken, 6.70%
• Washington Capitals, 6%
• Los Angeles Kings, 4.50%
• Colorado Avalanche, 3.50%
• Winnipeg Jets, 2.90%
• Dallas Stars, 2.60%
• Edmonton Oilers, 2.50%
• New York Islanders, 1.40%
• Pittsburgh Penguins. 1.10%
• New York Rangers, 1%
• Nashville Predators, 1%

The Maple Leafs have not won a postseason round since 2004 when they took down their Canadian and provincial rival Ottawa Senators in a hard-fought seven game series. Could this finally be the year that the Leafs break through and advance at least one round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Or will it be another early spring in Toronto for Dubas and company?