Don’t rule out the possibility theymiss the playoffs entirely. Their 2019-20 was coming down to the wire and they had just lost the Ayres game a couple weeks before the stoppage. If they play those last 12 games, playoff hockey wasn’t guaranteed
My point was that I don't think they'll do anything panicky mid-season. They can't really make any trades because of the cap and their stars make too much money to trade one of them mid-year. I don't think they'll fire Keefe. He just got an extension and has a long history with Dubas. They were digging out of the Babcock hole in 19/20. Under Keefe, they've played at a 108 point 82-game pace (obviously aided a bit by the shitty North division last year). If it goes off the rails, I don't think they'll use him as the scapegoat. I think the organization plays out the year and the big decisions are made after the season, be it a playoff DNQ, first round flameout or a deep run. If the season ends with a DNQ or first round flameout, big changes will occur and Keefe may be part of the collateral damage.
I actually think Tampa is in a bit more trouble than Toronto right now. They are essentially playing without 5 of their top 12 forwards from last year. Kucherov (injured), Gourde, Coleman, Goodrow, Johnson (cap casualties). They replaced thos players with AHL fodder. We joke about the LTIR stuff but I think they actually do need Kucherov this year and they are walking a tightrope this year. They can't afford another injury to a top player.