Kyle Cushman
Everyone just needs to take a breath.
Have the Toronto Maple Leafs been stellar out of the gate? No. But they haven’t been bad either.
You can talk to me about wholesale changes to the team when they have a legitimate stretch of healthy play. Travis Dermott and Zach Hyman have been out for all 13 games. John Tavares has missed five. You simply can’t get a true read on this team until all three return to the lineup.
Firing someone would be asinine. If the Leafs were to fire anyone at any level of the organization just 13 games into the season, why wouldn’t they have just moved on at the end of the season? 13 games just aren’t enough to properly evaluate the team, coaching included. Both assistants are new and are still implementing their strategies. Mike Babcock has returned and the results have been nowhere near fireable.
As for the roster itself, outside of a minor trade, there’s no reason to make a move either. Unless we are talking about a Nic Petan or a Nick Shore, a trade this early would be far too reactionary. It’s easy to forget, but a third of the Leafs lineup were not on the team last season. Toronto’s best lineup has yet to play a second of hockey together, though that should change soon with Dermott and Hyman set to return shortly, as is Tavares.
Needless to say, everyone just needs to relax. A firing or a trade of any significant capacity would be lunacy at this stage of the season. Take a deep breath, relax, and let’s wait for this Maple Leafs team to get healthy before calling for heads.