The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone nearly 60 years without a Stanley Cup.
You would think that that would instill a sense of urgency to the organization, but the Toronto Maple Leafs management acts like they're in quicksand, doing everything in slow-motion, when they do anything at all.
For the second straight year since the Leafs made the obviously ill-advised decision to hire Brad Treliving, they have eschewed in-season roster moves to the point of self-parody.
Like, I'm sure running an NHL hockey team means doing a lot of work, but when you don't pay any attention to the roster it doesn't seem like you're actually doing anything.
The Toronto Maple Leafs GM Needs to Show Up for Work One Day Soon
The Leafs have used Pontus Holmberg on the second line multiple times and they've played games with David Kampf at 2C. Either of those things happening a single time means you have to go out and get a centre because it means that you are a ridiculously thin centre-ice.
I don't claim to be an expert at Game Theory, but I am reasonably certain that if you are playing in a closed-system (i.e a salary cap) that creates parity and rewards luck, you should not be as risk-adverse as the Toronto Maple Leafs are.
— Editor in Leaf (@EditorinLeaf) February 25, 2025
Last year they had the same issue with the goalie, and the Leafs GM did nothing about that either. He added only bad, replacement-level checking players at the deadline, and the Leafs lost in the closest possible way. Had their GM done enough to help them score even one more goal, they would have went to the second-round, minimum.
Other teams made their moves early. The Leafs have known for months what they need, but they are yet to act.
If not for last year's joke of a trade deadline, I could perhaps forgive their hesitation. But they don't appear patient, and they appear afraid. Treliving hasn't swung a hockey-trade since he built the Florida Panthers into a near-dynasty and his performance at last year's deadline was on par with trading Courtnall for Kordic or Rask for Raycroft.
Since being hired with the Leafs, he has had a penchant for adding name-brand players on the down side of their careers *(and overpaying them massively). He has also shown to be extremely risk adverse, which is just about the worst thing you can be when competing in a closed cap-system that creates parity.
The Leafs simply cannot add a 33 year old Braydon Schenn or Brandon Carlo to their lineup. They need youth, potential and star power. They need guys with size and defensive acumen only.
Truly I hope the Leafs win no matter what they do, but the bright side to losing is that Shanahan and Treliving will likely get shown the door and I for one couldn't care less. A new GM would be amazing at this point. Of course, I don't know if any of San Jose, Pittsburgh or Carolina's GMs would be willing to come to Toronto, but it'd be sweet if they could be convinced.
The bottom line is that the Leafs are not as good as their current record and they do not appear willing to make the kind of high-risk move that could put them over the top.