Maple Leafs focused on growth after Cup Qualifiers loss to Blue Jackets

The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Qualifiers by the Columbus Blue Jackets, losing 3-0 in Game 5 of the best-of-5 series Sunday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city.

The Maple Leafs were the No. 8 seed in the East after finishing the regular season with a .579 points percentage (36-25-9).

Here is a look at what happened during the 2020 postseason for the Maple Leafs and why things could be even better next season:

The Skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents:Kyle Clifford, F; Jason Spezza, F; Cody Ceci, D; Tyson Barrie, D

Potential restricted free agents: Ilya Mikheyev, F; Denis Malgin, F; Frederik Gauthier, F; Travis Dermott, D

Potential 2020 NHL Draft picks:10

What went wrong

Power play:The Maple Leafs were tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the sixth-best power play (23.1 percent) during the regular season but were 2-for-13 (15.4 percent) against the Blue Jackets and 1-for-4 combined in their three losses, including 0-for-1 in Game 5.

Depth scoring:Zach Hyman and Nicholas Robertson were the only forwards to score apart from Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares.

Bad goals at bad times:Though Frederik Andersen was strong throughout the series with a .936 save percentage, two goals allowed proved to be costly. In Game 1, Cam Atkinson broke a 0-0 tie 1:05 into the third period with a wrist shot from the top of the right face-off circle that beat Andersen to the blocker side en route to a 2-0 win. In Game 5, Liam Foudy scored on a wrist shot off Andersen's pad for a 2-0 lead at 11:40 of the third.

Reasons for optimism

Matthews continues to improve: The forward scored six points (two goals, four assists) in five games against Columbus, his most productive postseason in his four NHL seasons. He scored an NHL career-high 80 points (47 goals, 33 assists) in 70 regular-season games.

Emergence of Robertson: He was the first 18-year-old to play for the Maple Leafs since Luke Schenn in 2008 and make his NHL debut in the postseason since Jarome Iginla for the Calgary Flames on April 21, 1996. Robertson earned his way into Toronto's lineup for the first four games of the Qualifiers with a strong training camp. He scored 86 points (55 goals, 31 assists) in 46 games for Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League and appears poised to earn a regular spot in the NHL next season.

Development of Rasmus Sandin:The 20-year old defenseman scored eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 28 regular-season games. Though Sandin did not dress in the Qualifiers, he is likely to earn a regular spot in the Maple Leafs lineup next season. With two seasons remaining on Sandin's entry-level contract, his cost efficiency will help the Maple Leafs upgrade at the position.