The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently the best team in the NHL.
They lead the league in scoring and points. Bodog better recently upgraded the Toronto Maple Leafs to being the Stanley Cup favorite. Not to brag or anything, but I told you so.
So with the team doing so well, an obvious question has arisen: Should the Leafs aggressively try to improve, or should they be patient?
Be Patient:
The Leafs appear to have a great team, but it’s early. They are winning now, but the season is a grind and they won’t be able to avoid injuries and a losing streak or two.
When those things happen, you can make moves if necessary. But, at the same time, with Leivo, Liljegren, Nielson, Dermott and (especially) Kapanen in the wings waiting to get an opportunity, it’s questionable if outside help is needed.
The only thing we know for sure is that it’s not needed today. The Leafs could easily be patient and continue down the path of hording assets, drafting and developing and waiting for the perfect opportunity before rushing into anything.
Be Aggressive
I hate to say this, but I’m wrong. What I wrote above was pretty much nonsense. Be patient? Please.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are already good, but what is scary is that they have NHL quality players who aren’t in their lineup. They have salary cap space, and assets to use to acquire more good players.
Also, this is the last year that Nylander, Marner and Matthews will all be cheap. James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov are pending unrestricted free agents.
There will never be a better time to win the Stanley Cup than this year. That isn’t to say it’s now or never, but they’ll just never have everything come together so beautifully again.
More from Editor In Leaf
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson Healthy and Ready
- Ryan Reaves Will Have Zero Impact on Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Playing Max Domi In Top-Six a HUGE Mistake
- Top 10 Scandals in the History of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Results from the Traverse City Prospects Tournament
They already have (arguably) the best team in hockey, so making it better should be a no-brainer. The Leafs should be aggressively pursuing a way to make them even better.
How to Do it
First of all, JVR and Komarov are going nowhere. I don’t care if they walk at the end of the year, but nothing you can exchange them for will improve the team. Best to think of them as rentals.
Bozak, however, has got to go. Mitch Marner on the fourth line is one of the dumbest things ever, but then again, so is Connor Brown. The Leafs need to get rid of Bozak so that either Nylander or Marner can take over as a centre.
Once Kapanen is inserted into the lineup, the Leafs will be even better. He’s their fastest skater and second best defensive player. Name one other team with a player like that in the minors? Come on!
The play here is to take either Kapanen or Connor Brown plus Tyler Bozak and a first-round pick and parlay them into a legit top our defenseman. I hate to trade either one, but the Leafs have too many wingers.
The obvious target should be Chris Tanev, whose acquisition would move Ron Hainsey into a more fitting bottom pair role and make the Toronto Maple Leafs roster into one of the best lineups ever iced in the post salary cap era.
Next: Marlies and Prospect Weekly Updates
Regardless of the team agreeing with my choice of moves, a move is necessary. The Toronto Maple Leafs have the pieces and the opportunity to become the best team in the NHL. They should be aggressively pursing ways in which to get better.