How serious are the Maple Leafs about winning right now?

After four hard-fought, closely contested games this season, the alarm bells remain quiet, and the streets are devoid of fans cursing the gods with shaken fists and pleading faces. But questions about this Leafs roster still need answering. Can this aging d-core hold up for 84 games? Can Chris Tanev and John Tavares still hold up their end of the bargain? Will their 5-on-5 play consistently wear down opposing defences? If the answers to these questions become glaringly obvious "no's" as the weeks go on, then the only question that matters may quickly become: Are the Leafs serious about contending this season?

Every indication this offseason has pointed to Chayka being adamant about the Leafs returning to the playoffs in an already tightly contested Atlantic Division. The task ahead was never easy, with powerhouses like Florida and Tampa Bay expected to rout the top of the division and newcomers Montreal and Buffalo expected to pick up where they left off last season. Not to mention the always-relevant ground-and-pound game of the Bruins, and the underdog mentality the Senators bring to every new season. There won't be much time to turn things around, with the division as competitive as it is and with every dropped point an opportunity for someone else to pounce in the standings.

All this to say, as presently constructed, what options does Chayka have to address the early eyesores of this roster?

Continue to preach patience

With a new head coach and nine new faces suiting up this season — and a new face on every forward line — plus a shortened training camp and preseason, there's plenty of reason to remain patient for this roster to find its footing.

18-year-old Gavin McKenna finally found his footing last night against the Predators, and it felt like new life had been injected into Scotiabank Arena for the first time this season after McKenna potted his first NHL goal — he also nabbed his first NHL point on a breakout pass for his billet father — who, by the way, was flying up ice before potting one bar down. On the other end of the spectrum, 37-year-old Chris Tanev is starting to look his age and may not be as reliable as everyone had hoped. He was sloppy with the puck for most of the night and had a brutal giveaway late in the third period during a tied game.

The pushback most Leafs fans will have with this philosophy is that their patience is running thin. It's tough to convince a fanbase as hungry for a triumph as Leafs fans to keep waiting, especially after last season's debacle, which followed nine straight early playoff exits. It's also hard to ignore that this team's core is in the thick of its prime and can't afford to kick the can down the road. If there's an opportunity to address this roster's soft spots, could you really blame Chayka for pulling the trigger on yet another deal? The only question is: who could the Leafs move on from?

Trade top 5 prospects: Ben Danford, Tinus Luc Koblar, Ethan Mackenzie

The only reason Artur Akhtyamov isn't on this list is that he seems just as untouchable as Gavin McKenna, who rounds out the top 5. That said, if the Leafs truly believe their crease is a strength in this roster's current construction, then nothing should be off the table if they really intend to push for a cup run.

NHL.com projects both Koblar and Mackenzie to arrive in the NHL for the 2028/29 season, making them B-level prospects at best. Because most of the Leafs' roster has NMCs in their contracts, they'll likely have to look to the bottom of the standings for potential trade partners — where guys like Mackenzie and Koblar might carry more cachet.

Danford, a 20-year-old defenceman, was seen as an underdog this season to make the Leafs' 23-man roster, but was presumably always designated to pick up where he left off last season with the Marlies after their Calder Cup victory: as the team's most steady defenceman.

At 6'2, 200 pounds, the Belleville native has a solid NHL frame and is considered to be a reliable, two-way defenceman who quarterbacked the Generals' power play last season before being assigned to the Marlies to play out the remaining 16 games of their championship run. Despite being the Generals' most gifted offensive defenceman, Danford is regarded above all else for the responsibility and high IQ he shows in his own end, projecting him as a legitimate piece who could play shutdown minutes. Danford's projected to arrive in the NHL next season. His value should extend beyond the bottom of the league as he's on the cusp of cracking the NHL, and for teams up against the cap, he'll arrive on entry-level money for the next three seasons.

Go and get Simon Edvinsson or Alexander Nikishin

This season's NHL player-empowerment saga is unprecedented compared to years past. Star players like Connor Hellebuyck are choosing to sit out altogether, and Dylan Larkin is swallowing his pride and suiting up for the Red Wings after being stripped of his captaincy for publicly demanding a trade this summer. As for Edvinsson and Nikishin, the two young left-handed defencemen are in a negotiating stalemate with their respective teams (Detroit and Carolina).

Edvinsson's towering 6'6" frame gives him an incredible edge in stick battles and one-on-one defending situations. He kills penalties, blocks shots, swats pucks out of mid-air, moves the puck with precision and possesses exceptional skating mechanics that make him look graceful for a man his size. He's a sure-fire top-4 defenceman who can handle top penalty-killing responsibilities every night.

He's holding out with the Red Wings for an extension and is currently back home in Sweden, waiting for a resolution to his trade request. With the Red Wings in such disarray, fans are calling for the team to be sold. And with arguably the worst roster in a stacked Atlantic Division, they also have several key players on expiring deals, including Alex DeBrincat, John Gibson, Justin Faulk, and Andrew Copp. If things keep going sideways in Hockeytown, Interim GM Shawn Horcoff may be asked to start recouping assets any way he can before this year's trade deadline.

Alexander Nikishin is a freight train. Just go check out his KHL highlights from 2024:

He hits, skates, jumps in on plays, and has a cannon for a slap shot. He would be a great left-handed complement to Chris Tanev, adding extra offensive punch to that pairing. He's pegged as an all-around defenseman and would be a safe bet to replace Reilly on the second power-play unit because of the power he generates from his shot. Carolina, unlike Detroit, is very much in a win-now scenario and is defending their Stanley Cup reign for the first time. They're not looking for future assets; they need a ready-made guy coming back in the deal to replace Nikishin. The advantage of negotiating with a Stanley Cup champion is that players with NMCs may be more inclined to waive them for an opportunity to go on a deep playoff run. Perhaps the Morgan Rielly saga could come to a storybook ending after all, with a prospect sweetener attached.

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