During Wednesday’s media availability, Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan expressed his content with the work done this offseason.
The Toronto Maple Leafs referenced the team's "busy" off-season and said he was "pleased" with the moves. Being “busy,” however, doesn’t always equate to being productive. This point is where I’d like to start nitpicking Shanahan’s comments.
This offseason was indeed busy. It was punctuated by Sheldon Keefe’s dismissal and Craig Berube’s hiring. Also, the major signings of Chris Tanev, among other free agents highlighted the free-agency season.
Then, Auston Matthews’ anointment as captain was only a matter of time. I believed the club would wait till John Tavares left town, but it seems the move was a high priority.
Based on those three points, is it fair to say that Shanahan should be pleased?
Brendan Shanahan “pleased” with the Toronto Maple Leafs offseason
On the whole, I think we need to read between the lines. When Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun asked Shanahan about claims regarding the team’s goal to win the Stanley Cup, Shanahan squirmed for a second.
Shanahan should have known that question was coming. As such, Shanahan should have been ready to speak beyond the company line. Instead, Shanahan tried to skirt skepticism about the Toronto Maple Leafs lack of playoff success by saying that it’s every team’s goal to win the Cup.
Shanahan, of all people, should know that wasn’t the case in 2016. During the Great Tank, the goal was to land Auston Matthews. Shanahan should thank his lucky stars it worked.
For the first time in several seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs had an offseason indicative of some sort of direction. The goal this offseason was to add pricey veterans who could push the team over the top.
Players like Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson provide a short-term bump, but it’s unclear if they can remain productive in the long run. Then, reclamation projects like Jani Hakanpaa seemed almost destined for LTIR.
But there was one key area where the Leafs struck out: Goaltending.
Now, to be fair, rumors had the Leafs in on every goalie in the league. Reports suggested the Leafs were close to landing Jacob Markstrom, while others indicated the Leafs had proposals in place of Juuse Saros and Linus Ullmark.
However, the club was forced to go with Plan B, re-signing Joseph Woll and bringing in Anthony Stolarz. Coincidentally, Woll and Stolarz have the same agent, Allain Roy, according to PuckPedia. This information answered my questions about why Stolarz, of all available goalies, was the guy chosen to back up Woll.
Be that as it may, the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to address the team’s most important offseason issue. My hope is that Woll proves us wrong by having a tremendous season. Perhaps he can become a one-hit wonder and win the Vezina Trophy as he leads the Leafs to a Cup.
Let’s hope such a statement isn’t just wishful thinking.