Toronto Maple Leafs: Lessons Learned From A Painful Decade

From the 2005-2006 season until the 2014-2015 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs missed the playoffs nine of ten years in one of the most painful stretches in franchise history.

During those years, the Toronto Maple Leafs management and coaching staffs made some pretty bad decisions.

There were a lot of lessons to be learned during those years and the five in this post took way too long to be acknowledged.

Under Brendan Shanahan, though, things have changed. The problems of the past are being erased and the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the path to return to consistently being a positive franchise.

This group is on track to become annual playoff contenders and a good off-ice image that will attract – not deter – players from wanting to remain in the city, or come for the first time.

Here are five lessons learned from the most painful decade in Toronto Maple Leafs history.

Next: Kitty-Bar-The-Door Doesn't Work