Toronto Maple Leafs Problems Run Deeper Than Just Talent

The Toronto Maple Leafs desperately need several upgrades on the blue line.  They currently have Morgan Rielly playing well, but after that it’s a mess of players (roster per capfriendly.com) who just aren’t playing at an NHL level.

Up front, despite putting up some decent numbers, the Toronto Maple Leafs star forwards (other than William Nylander) just haven’t been able to get into any kind of sustained rhythm this season, and we’re almost into December.

General Manager Brad Treliving is working the phones, hoping to trade his team into the contender most of us thought we would see this year, especially after last season’s playoff breakthrough.

But even if Treliving manages to snag a top-pairing defender along with another solid addition (or two) to the Leafs defense corps, will that portend clear sailing for the Blue and White?

Toronto Maple Leafs Problems Run Deeper Than Just Talent

I’m beginning to think the answer is a resounding NO.

Something seems to have changed with the new generation of NHL players.  Before you write this off as the rantings of an old guy pining for the days of Gretzky or Orr, hear me out.

People who say that players now are lazy or just in it for the money are completely wrong.  Today’s athletes work harder than ever, and players have made lots of money for at least several decades.

So why does it seem so difficult to motivate players to give their best every night?

Younger players today don’t have the same fear of coaches that existed even ten years ago (that’s a good thing).  Thus the decline of “leaders” such as Mike Babcock and Darryl Sutter.

People in their 20’s (in general) have been raised in the age of social media (overall not a good thing), and being liked can matter a lot to a young person.  For young NHL players, on-ice struggles can be magnified greatly by the cutthroat online response that often follows.

The fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to underachieve despite having a lot of individual talent is not unique in the NHL, or the sports world in general.  The Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers both have similar issue, as do the Toronto Blue Jays and the Buffalo Bills.

In general, the players are different (as people) than they used to be.  Not better or worse, just different.  Yet teams have not adapted by changing the way they coach and develop these players.

Simply gathering as much talent as possible on your roster, hiring a good coach and hoping for success is no longer good enough.  A talented team may do well (after all, SOMEBODY has to win the Stanley Cup every year) but sustained success is unlikely.

It hasn’t been done yet (at least not openly), but some team needs to be the first to sink significant money and commitment into understanding what truly motivates today’s generation of players.  Then they need to translate those findings into recruiting and/or training their coaching staff to get the maximum results.

It may be a lot to ask, but a hockey coach (and by extension, the GM) who fully understands the issues that impact younger players (including mental health issues) and can relate to those players, is bound to have more success than his peers.

It won’t be a quick fix, but given the millions that teams spend on salaries, it makes sense to also invest in something that will help players to realize their potential.

Brendan Shanahan, are you listening?