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Toronto Maple Leafs: Maximize Entry Level Contracts, or Stay Patient?

By Tim Chiasson

Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) walks off the field after their overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings during the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) walks off the field after their overtime victory against the Detroit Red Wings during the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. The Maple Leafs beat the Red Wings 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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NHL: Centennial Classic-Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL: Centennial Classic-Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs /

Matthew Rodrigopulle

The Leafs should remain patient in their rebuild and let things happen, as they will. Like Brendan Shanahan promised, there will be pain, but rebuilds tend to take time. The kids need to develop, and things should not be rushed.

Recently, there have been many trade rumors surrounding the likes of players such as James Van Riemsdyk, Jake Gardiner and even William Nylander. Many believe that if the Leafs traded one of these pieces for, say a strong defenseman, it would suddenly turn the Leafs into a playoff contender. However, the fact of the matter is that the kids need time to fully grow and learn from playing in the NHL.

Look at successful rebuilds through drafting like we’ve seen in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay. Their success did not come within 2-3 years. Instead they let the kids pan out and then decided who to keep and who to move based on the direction the team would need to go in to contend.  The Leafs should do just that—let the kids develop and evaluate the market after.

Of course, it would be easier to build a team that looks great on paper while the kids are on entry-level contracts. Their salaries would be much cheaper, leaving much more cap room to bring in big money players to fill holes.

The dilemma in this predicament is that the kids may not be completely reliable yet in key situations like, let’s say, a game 7 overtime scenario. Time is still needed to develop.

The problem with waiting is that out of the big three players, Nylander’s ELC must be renewed before the 2018-2019 season, while Matthews’ and Marner’s ELC’s finish before the 2019-2020 season.

These three players are a big priority, and a majority of the Leafs cap space will be used up on their assured big money contracts. In order to build around this, the Leafs will either have to hope that our own players develop into a contending team on their own, which can happen given their potential, or management has to be on point with finding the best ways to acquire missing pieces.

The Leafs have the pieces in place to be contenders, but they cannot just try to trade and acquire pieces to make them win right now. They should develop what they have into bigger and better things, and acquire pieces to fill holes that our guys can’t fill.

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