The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup for the second season in a row on Tuesday night, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 to win the series in six games and further deprive Canada from winning their first Cup since 1993.
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs are still lost in their pursuit for their first Cup since 1967, that doesn’t mean that the curse extends to anybody who crosses paths with the organization. In fact, there are four notable people in the Panthers’ organization who were previously employed by the Leafs in some capacity. I’m sure this is exactly what you want to read right now, no need to thank me for bringing the conversation up. Let’s have a look at who left the Maple Leafs franchise and found success in 2024-25.
Carter Verhaeghe
This one is easily the hardest ‘the one that got away’ to stomach. And no, it’s not exclusively on the Leafs, because two other teams had him and moved on from him before he really blossomed as a member of the Panthers. But it’s hard to stomach because of what he was dealt for.
Verhaeghe was originally a third-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2013, selected from the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs at 82nd overall. Before he even had an opportunity to play game in the Leafs’ organization, he was traded to the New York Islanders in September 2015 in a five-player package for one player, with that player being Michael Grabner. It was ultimately a nothing trade for a Leafs team that finished last overall in 2015-16, and Grabner certainly didn’t lessen the blow with a measly nine goals and 18 points in 80 games. Verhaeghe was dealt a multitude of prospects, including Matthew Finn, Taylor Beck, Tom Nilsson, and Christopher Gibson. One player in that package clearly sticks out more than the rest.
Verhaeghe never played a game for the Islanders. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning prior to the 2019-20 season, where he played his rookie season and got his name on the Cup when the Lightning won it all. He signed with the Florida Panthers for the 2020-21 season and never looked back. He broke out with 36 points in 43 games that year, and has since won two Cups with the Panthers, recording 18 goals and 44 points in 47 games across their two Cup runs. Not great, Lou!
Evan Rodrigues
You might not remember Rodrigues’ time with the Maple Leafs, and nobody would blame you. He never suited up in a game for them, and it was one of those situations where then-general manager Kyle Dubas probably would have been smart to keep him around and see what he’s capable of. He was acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins along with a first-round pick in a deal that sent Kasperi Kapanen and a couple of minor-league players the other way, but unable to come to terms with the Maple Leafs, Rodrigues returned to Pittsburgh on a one-year contract.
He signed with the Colorado Avalanche for the 2022-23 season and found success with the Avalanche, scoring 16 goals and notching 39 points in 69 games. Following that season, he signed a four-year contract with the Panthers. He’s never eclipsed 40 points in the regular season with the Panthers, but like Verhaeghe, he stepped up in both playoff runs with the Panthers, with 30 points in 45 games combined between the two runs.
Paul Maurice
It’s kind of crazy to see Paul Maurice in the position he is when you consider how much of a wash his time as Toronto’s head coach was. It wasn’t necessarily his fault, either. The Leafs gave him a short leash and let him go after two seasons, missing the playoffs in both 2006-07 and 2007-08. He then assumed head coaching duties with the Carolina Hurricanes for four seasons before beginning a whopping nine-year tenure with the Winnipeg Jets.
Between his stint with the Maple Leafs and being hired by the Panthers, Maurice never made it further than the Conference Final. Since taking over as Panthers head coach, he’s taken them to three straight Cup finals, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022-23 before winning the next two Cups against the Oilers. Sometimes, two parties can form the perfect match even if they might not seem like the answer for each other in the moment.
Bryan McCabe
We can’t wrap up this list without talking about former Maple Leafs scapegoat Bryan McCabe. A member of the Maple Leafs from 2000-01 until 2007-08, McCabe was always a capable offensive defenceman but frequently left fans pulling their hair out with his play in his own zone. He played three seasons with the Panthers after leaving Toronto before finishing the 2010-11 season, which would be his last, with the New York Rangers.
McCabe may not have been on the ice for any of these Cups, nor was he the one pulling the trigger on any trades, he’s served as the team’s Director of Player Personnel since 2017, and given how the Panthers have been able to unlock cheap talent with players like Verhaeghe, Rodrigues, and Sam Bennett, it’s clear that he’s been a crucial part of their success.
Sponsored by bet365