This is the Maple Leafs’ year — no, they won’t win the Stanley Cup, but they should finally reach the NHL’s playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season, Don Cherry said Saturday.

The colourful character from CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada was in North Bay to meet with fans and celebrate the 20th anniversary of North Bay’s Don Cherry’s Sports Grill.

With the CBC more or less building its national broadcasts around the Maple Leafs’ schedule during his three decades in front of the camera on CBC, Cherry has had a first-hand look at the woes of the Leafs.

One of two teams, along with the Florida Panthers, that have yet to reach the playoffs in the post-lockout era, the Maple Leafs should qualify for the post-season this year, Cherry said.

“I think they should make the playoffs,” he said prior to signing autographs for fans lined up in the restaurant. “I think (goaltender J.S.) Giguere is going to have a better year starting off there. They have one of the best defence groups in the league, but the problem is, they can’t score. They really don’t have the forwards. There are some tough guys on the third and fourth lines, but they’ve got to get those top six guys who can score and get somebody to play with Kessel and help him score.”