The end of the Toronto Maple Leafs off-season is nearly upon us with Labour Day Weekend portending the end of the Great NHL News Drought and allowing us to get back to our normal activities.
While it is unclear what the Toronto Maple Leafs may or may not do before the NHL season begins, we do know that they are going to be extremely busy.
The Mitch Marner Situation needs to be resolved. The Nick Robertson Situation also needs to be resolved. Brad Treleving is yet to make a trade in 15 months as the Leafs GM, so he's overdue. The team doesn't currently have a 3rd line centre, the blue-line is very average and could use at least one more upgrade.
So we expect things to happen, we just aren't sure what they will be or when. The Leafs came in 30th in the Athletic's annual ranking of fan confidence in their team's management, which we here at EIL consider to be pretty generous, so we're not expecting great things.
This Leafs team is the weirdest team I've ever seen. On one hand, a team with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Willian Nylander, Chris Tanev, Morgan Rielly, Max Domi and Easton Cowan and Matthews Kniews coming up behind them sounds amazing.
If Chris Tanev is elite, no one declines too much, the stars all repeat their best seasons, and mostly, if Joseph Woll becomes a top NHL goalie, then this team will dominate and have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
The only problem is that that needs about 35 best-case-scenario situations to occur simultaneously. This could be the best team we've seen the Leafs ice in a 25 years or a total trainwreck. It could go either way.
So with that said, here are 3 thoughts for the End of the Summer!