Leafs Trade Rumours Extremely Underwhelming - They Owe Their Fans/Players Better
The NHL's top teams - except for the Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs - have all made significant moves to improve their Stanley Cup odds.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have done nothing yet (which is fine, there is plenty of time) but the rumours are extremely disapointing. Nick Jensen, Adam Larsso, Colten Parayko and Matt Dumba are the names being bandied about and not one of them counts as a significant upgrade.
Colorado added a centre and made their blue-line more mobile, not less. The Oilers got deeper at least, Vegas got way better, the Rangers improved and Florida, Dallas and Vancouver have all made significant moves (if you can even really consider Vancouver a contender).
The Leafs can't be content to just add depth players. They have a great core and a real chance to win it all this year. Therefore the kinds of players being mentioned are just not good enough. Not only do the Leafs need to add a star player or two in order to be real contenders, they owe it to their fans to do so.
Leafs Trade Rumours Extremely Underwhelming - They Owe Their Fans/Players Better
The Leafs aren't mentioned as being in on Jake Guentzel or Jacob Chychrun, nor have their been rumours about any players who aren't obvious trade candidates.
Adam Larsson is the most exciting player being mentioned, and he's a defensive defenseman and the Leafs already has a mobilty problem. If the Leafs biggest upgrade is Adam Larsson its a disaster that is completely unacceptable in an Auston Matthews/Mitch Marner Prime Season.
Brad Treliving has had a quiet first season as the Leafs GM but he is gifted with two or three of the best players alive in the primes of their careers, and this isn't the time for prudance. In order to live up to the committments his players have made to the Maple Leafs, the Maple Leafs owe it to them and their fans to get a serious upgrade.
Colton Parayko is 30 and has six years left on a contract he already isn't living up to. Why is a player who can't perform on a bad team going to excell on a contender? The risk/reward on Parayko makes zero sense and, for like the 100th time, a team with Benoit, Lyubushkin and TJ Brodie can't afford to add another player who is bad at moving the puck.
Leafs fans have suffered long enough. Jake Guentzel, Jacob Chychrun, Juuse Saros. If not one of them, someone at their level. Some depth forwards and another defense-first defenseman won't cut it.
The future is now, and the Leafs have Easton Cowen, Fraser Minten, and multiple first round picks at their disposal. It's a buyers market and the time to go all-in is now.
You can't guarantee a long playoff run. You can, however, guarantee that your fans get excited and have a fun time.
If the Leafs add around the edges and finish anywhere short of the Stanley Cup Finals, they are a disgrace and Brendan Shanahan will be gone.
If they swing for the fences, they may or may not win, but at least they'll have tried. What good is a prospect right now, when Auston Matthews and a reasonable faximile of a star goalie can potentially make the Toronto Maple Leafs unbeatable.
Brad Treliving has the dream job of 20 million Toronto Maple Leafs fans and he owes us some excitment. The Leafs roster just won 12 of 14 games. He owes the players more than Adam freaking Larsson.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs need a star player between now and Friday afternoon. Anything short of an absolute blockbuster homerun is a disgrace and a slap in the face to the millions of Leafs fans who surely deserve better.