NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has shed light on significant doubts circulating in Toronto regarding the team’s roster makeup and the organization’s future direction. Despite initial expectations of being active buyers leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, a growing sense of uncertainty suggests a more cautious approach, raising questions about Toronto’s willingness to go all-in for the playoffs.
Friedman isn’t suggesting the Maple Leafs won’t be buyers. Still in a playoff spot, the insider assumes GM Brad Treliving might make smaller moves. But, as far as going hard after big difference-makers and marquee names, the feeling is that Toronto doesn’t feel confident enough to give away considerable assets to add what they need.
The recent run of poor play and frustrating games has led to what Friedman believes is a shift in the team’s thinking. He explains:
“I think Toronto’s thinking bigger picture. I don’t think this is about this year anymore I think they’re thinking about where they’re going. I really wonder if deep down that is an organization is saying we are not good enough to win this year we are resetting and we are reshaping our roster and we’re going to do that.”
If the Leafs were regularly winning or showing signs that one fix here or a player addition there would be enough to correct the issues, perhaps the Leafs would feel more comfortable with their original plan of pushing hard to win the Cup this season. That may no longer be the case.
The original deadline strategy apparently revolved around trying to add big to the blue line. It sounds like that plan didn’t pan out. Friedman also noted:
“I think before they committed to signing [William] Nylander, they were going over and they went everywhere in the league and said, ‘Is there a defenseman making Nylander’s money or close to it that we can replace it, and those players, they’re not available.”
In other words, it sounds like the Leafs contemplated making a huge shift towards a top-notch defenseman before allocating the big money to Nylander. They couldn’t find a better player for the money, so they went ahead and signed the long-term deal.
With Nylander signed and the team realizing that the stud d-man might not be out there, Friedman says the team is likely to try and hit “signing singles and doubles” simply to add around the existing group. These acquisitions could take the form of low-cost rentals, requiring minimal assets for acquisition, or identifying players with team-friendly contracts extending over the next two or three seasons.
What Does That Mean for the Long-Term Future of the Maple Leafs?
If Toronto is only looking at small additions this season, and had contemplated big changes before signing Nylander, one has to wonder what the organization is thinking heading into the offseason. Friedman believes they could be looking at a broader restructuring of the team, paving the way for a roster reset.
Friedman said, “The more I think about the Nylander negotiation and getting him signed, it was about what does our structure look like so we can start to rebuild their roster.” If Toronto intends to build around Nylander and Auston Matthews, then nurturing players like Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, and Easton Cowan, that could mean serious changes over the next couple of seasons. Pending UFAs like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Ilya Samsonov, TJ Brodie, and others could be out. Meanwhile, a trade to move players like Mitch Marner could be considered and the idea of letting John Tavares leave is a real possibility.
This is all just speculation and talk based on the comments of someone who is very plugged in, but it certainly is interesting. If the Leafs don’t think they’re good enough to win with this particular makeup of players, are they prepared to do what they can short of throwing in the towel, and then pivoting as early as this summer to finally build the roster that can compete when it matters most?
