The Toronto Maple Leafs changed their coach and their captain.
The Toronto Maple Leafs should worry more about changing their third-line centre.
After a press conference in which the Leafs Brass said they were open to anything and in which they promised that change would come, change didn't come.
The Leafs once again made safe plays for name-brand players. They did not add an elite defenseman. They failed to an elite goalie. They re-signed Domi and will run it back with him, Woll, Liljegren, Rielly, the Core Four, and almost every other player from last year's roster save Ilya Samsonov and Tyler Bertuzzi.
It's worth questioning if the Leafs even got better (all their additions and deletions were replacement players, other than Tanev and Bertuzzi, so whether they got better depends on how much Tavev improves the team over whatever hole Bertuzzi leaves in the lineup.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Masters of Superficial Change
When people wanted the Leafs to make a change, they wanted one of the following: Rielly, Tavares, Marner or Nylander traded. A better balance between spending at forward and defense and goalie. A star goalie. An elite defenseman. A new third-line centre.
They did nothing. They flipped one coach for another. Berube is older, more experienced and likely a safer and more traditional choice than the young, hungry, intellectually curious Sheldon Keefe. Ultimately, however, they are two pros in a league where almost every team plays more or less the same game. The difference is minor at best.
Now they've changed captains. The old captain is still here, the new captain has been here the whole time. It's like painting your garage instead of moving.
The Leafs have thrown a new coat of paint on the old beater, and now they are hoping no one notices. We noticed!
The Leafs might not be wrong here. They bet on this strategy and Shanahan isn't ready to throw in the towel. Considering they have been selling us process over results the whole time, this is consistant. And who knows, it might still work.
Certainly the Leafs have a good, even potentially great team. They could win it all and prove Shanahan right.
But that isn't my point. My point is that they've sold the idea of change and failed to deliver on it. Whether they are right or not is besides the point. They did not change anything meaningful.
A new coach and a new captain are neat, but really, changing Pontus Holmberg into an NHL player would have a hundred times more effect.