Last summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs were at a crossroads. While they still are, the organization was at a natural bifurcation. The departure of Mitch Marner allowed the team to make a clean break and retool on the fly.
That was the idea. However, former GM Brad Treliving did not embrace it. If anything, Treliving tried to cover up the gigantic sinkhole with some duct tape.
Naturally, that approach didn’t work. Treliving tried to add around the fringes without truly addressing the situation. That led to the disastrous downfall of this team in one season.
It wasn’t that Marner’s flight destroyed the team. It’s that Treliving didn’t push to really upgrade this team. Instead, he bet on a washed-up prospect (Matias Maccelli), hoped his aging defense corps would hold up (it didn’t), and banked on the Stolarz/Woll tandem to be lights out.
In hindsight, had the goaltending been good, the Leafs might have just squeaked into the playoffs. And we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Fast forward to today, and John Chayka has done everything that Brad Treliving should have done last summer. He trimmed the fat, dumped onerous contracts, and, in particular, ripped off the band-aid with Nick Robertson.
Sure, Chayka got minuscule returns for Carlo and Robertson. But bear in mind that Chayka is approaching the team like a hedge fund manager. He’s dumping underperformed pieces for what he can go today. He’s not holding on to sinking assets, hoping that they’ll magically turn around.
If the underlying fundamentals are no bueno, the asset has to go.
The organization lost quite a bit in the moves. But then again, the Leafs managed to salvage something out of it.
So now, Chayka has set up the team to perform. Bringing in guys like Sergei Bobrovsky, Jack Roslovic, who Treliving should have signed last summer, and Nick Paul are the sort of moves that promise the team can really go in a different direction.
You add a full season of a much more confident Easton Cowan, and first-overall pick Gavin McKenna, and all of a sudden, the Maple Leafs have a promising core.
Yes, the blue line is a little suspect with several 30+ vets. But there is some help on the way with the various draft picks Chayka made this summer, while other prospects continue to develop within the system.
This commentary isn’t to paint an overly rosy picture of the Maple Leafs. There will be some ups and downs. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a lukewarm October as all of the pieces fall into place.
But make no mistake. The Leafs’ other Atlantic Division rivals are not that much better than they were a year ago.
This season could really represent a significant turnaround for Toronto.
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