Ever since Brad Treliving came aboard to run the Toronto Maple Leafs, the organization has taken their obsession with name-brand players to the extreme.
The Toronto Maple Leafs used to be an organization on the leading edge of the game. When Branden Shanahan first came aboard, the Leafs were risk-taking cowboys who believed they were smarter than anyone else.
They tried to innovate in a game that is hostile towards the basic concept of innovation, and when they didn't get the results they wanted, they hired the most generic Hockey Guy there is and now they are all about making low-risk moves in safe mode. Part of this yellow-belly philosophy is bringing in name-brand vets who used to be good.
This has led to two seasons in a row where the Leafs bring in unnecessary veterans who end up blocking out younger players, and it's how the Leafs ended up being one of the oldest teams in the NHL.
Even under Lamoriello and Dubas, the Leafs have venerated the concept of the aging vet, and have overdone the concept at every turn. Placenek, Foligno, Thornton, Spezza, Marleau, Domi, Bertuzzi, Klingberg, Reaves, Edmundson, Lyubushkin etc.
And that brings us to the dumbest thing I've ever heard the Leafs are interested in.
Someone take Brad's keys away already....
Break from vacation..
— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) August 29, 2024
Sources confirm the Maple Leafs are among the teams firmly in the mix to sign veteran UFA forward Max Pacioretty.
There are dumb moves, and then there is whatever this is.
Even at the league minimum, what use is a 35 year old, injury prone, forward? All Pacioretty will do on the Leafs is get in the way of giving ice-time to Bobby McMann, Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten.
Low-upside vets, even at a low cost, are only going to clog the roster and prevent players with higher upsides from achieving success. I guarantee you if Max Pacioretty is on the roster, he gets a shot at the top six and the second power-play. This would be/ is idiotic.
It is extremely frustrating when your team hasn't won the Stanley Cup in nearly 60 years and they are run by complete morons who aren't helping get the team closer to the promised land. Brad Treliving is a flat-out bad GM and Brendan Shanahan has clearly lost whatever motivation and mojo he had ten years ago.
The Leafs should have zero interest in Max Pacioretty. This is one of the stupidest rumours to ever occur in a town fueled on them.
Last year, the Washington Capitals tried the same thing and Pacioretty was cooked. When he was on the ice, the Capitals lost his minutes 30-20, which is a HORRIBLE 40% GF rating. His Expected Goals were slightly better, but still awful at 47%. (naturalstattrick.com).
He scored four times in 47 games, and the drop-off from his former play was noticeable. This isn't a buy-low reclamation project, this is a name-brand player who will make it seem like the team is making moves, but in reality this player will make the team worse and block some of their younger and higher upside players from getting ice-time.
I cannot be any more clear on this: If the Toronto Maple Leafs are seriously considering signing Max Pacioretty, Keith Pelley has seen enough. Just fire everyone and get a jump by a year on what is obviously going to happen anyways.
Treliving and Shanahan are a joke at this point.