The Maple Leafs finished with 74 points in 2009-10 which was last place in the East. The Canadiens took the last playoff position with 88 points which is a relatively low point total for a playoff team. So you can see the Leafs have their work cut out for them if they indeed plan on making the playoffs.
However, let's remember that the Maple Leafs had a terrible start to the season. In the first 13 games they went 1-7-5 for a total of just 7 points. But what everyone forgets is that they began the season without Phil Kessel and in net was Veas Toskala who was putting the final nails in the coffin that was once his NHL career. Without that bad start the Leafs would have finished with 79 points. Not a huge improvement but means that they would only need a 9 point improvement in 2010-11 to theoretically secure a playoff spot. With better goaltending, a 9 point improvement is not that unrealistic. So although many people believe they are destined to finish around 12th place, that in fact is not really an improvement as I see it.
The Leafs after the Olympic break had a 11-7-3 record. Almost all those wins were in overtime or shootout but that still represents a turnaround of sorts. At the start of the season, a game tied at the end of regulation time was guaranteed to be a loss. That stretch represents a 97 point season. Again, the striking difference between the first part of the season and the backend was goaltending. Shortly before the Olympics the Leafs picked up J-S Giguere and suddenly they became much more competitive.
So the Leafs are likely somewhere between the last place team of last season and the strong team that finished out the season. That could be somewhere in the middle of the pack and competing for the first playoff berth in 6 seasons.
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