2011–12 Toronto Maple Leafs season

The 2011–12 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the 95th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise that was established on November 22, 1917. The team failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the seventh-straight season.

Off-season
At the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, general manager Brian Burke fulfilled his pledge to trade up in the first round, trading the 30th (Rickard Rakell) and 39th (John Gibson) picks to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the 22nd pick, which was used to select Tyler Biggs. The Leafs also selected Stuart Percy with the 25th pick.

The Leafs made two key free agent additions, adding centers Tim Connolly from the Buffalo Sabres and Philippe Dupuis from the Colorado Avalanche. The Leafs also added to their blue line by trading Brett Lebda and prospect Robert Slaney to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Cody Franson and center Matthew Lombardi.

The Leafs suffered no major losses during the off-season, however Tim Brent, who had an impressive season with the Leafs, was signed by the Carolina Hurricanes and veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere was acquired by the Colorado Avalanche. Other Leafs to depart the team included Danny Richmond (to the Washington Capitals), Christian Hanson, (to Washington) and Fabian Brunnstrom (to the Detroit Red Wings).

On October 4, the Leafs traded their fourth round pick at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for centre Dave Steckel.

Prior to the beginning of the regular season, the Leafs unveiled new alternate jerseys, similar to the ones they used when they last won the Stanley Cup in 1967.

Pre-season
The Maple Leafs went 4–4 in pre-season play.

Regular season
The Maple Leafs got off to a fast start, winning their first three games and seven of their first ten, finishing October in first place in the Northeast Division, second in the Conference. Phil Kessel was the NHL's leading points scorer with 18, and leading goal scorer with 10. James Reimer was the starting goaltender for the first five games, but was injured in his next start when the Montreal Canadiens' Brian Gionta struck Reimer in the jaw while fighting for the puck. Early in the season, the Leafs' power play has dramatically improved, with a 21.6% conversion rate, good for third in the league as of December 17, 2011. However, when short-handed, they had been less efficient, with a 73.0% kill rate, the worst in the NHL.

On February 9, 2012, the NHL announced that the Leafs would play the Detroit Red Wings at Michigan Stadium for the 2013 NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2013. It would later be postponed to 2014 due to the lockout.

With the Leafs falling out of the playoff race and in the midst of losing 10 of their last 11 games, including a six-game losing streak, head coach Ron Wilson was fired and replaced by Randy Carlyle on March 2, 2012. The Leafs went 6–9–3 under Carlyle to end the season.

Playoffs
The Maple Leafs attempted to finally qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2003–04 season. The Hockey News predicted that the Leafs will place tenth and miss the playoffs. The Maple Leafs were ultimately eliminated from playoff contention.

Player statistics
Final stats

Goaltenders
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Maple Leafs. Stats reflect time with Maple Leafs only.

‡Traded mid-season.

Bold/italics denotes franchise record.

Transactions
The Maple Leafs have been involved in the following transactions during the 2011–12 season.

Draft picks
Toronto's picks at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minnesota.