The Toronto Maple Leafs sit towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with no real direction to give fans a reason to believe in this roster and trust the management staff. The Maple Leafs are 24th in the league, but if they finish 28th, they will keep their first-round pick.
The last time the Maple Leafs missed the postseason was 2015-16; however, that season was different because they had reason to believe. They finished dead last in the NHL, then won the draft lottery and selected Auston Matthews. The year prior, they drafted Mitch Marner 4th overall and William Nylander 7th overall in 2014; alongside Morgan Rielly, there was reason for optimism. This year has been filled with disappointments, paired with little to no prospects and draft capital. It is tough to see where the Maple Leafs go from here.
How the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently built
Luckily for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they have superstar talent in Auston Matthews and William Nylander to build around, along with John Tavares and Matthew Knies providing a great duo on each line. The Maple Leafs have several unrestricted and restricted free agents and depth players who could provide value for the future, but they have also been part of the issue. Matias Maccelli is a player that the Maple Leafs should look to extend, as he has been a strong player with Auston Matthews as of late, and is a player who can provide depth scoring beyond the stars. Max Domi remains a player who doesn't seem to have a clear role within the lineup. He has played strongly with Matthews on the top line at times, but hasn't found a way to contribute anywhere else throughout the lineup. With three more years on his contract, it would take a lot to move him, but something the Maple Leafs need to do moving forward.
When looking at the remainder of the lineup, especially on the blueline, it is in dire need of a shakeup. Morgan Rielly has been at the forefront of this as he has struggled mightily and is on pace for one of the worst seasons of his career. Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have been players Craig Berube has been able to trust and lead the Maple Leafs' defensive core. The downside to this is that they are both up there in age, and it's tough to tell how much longer this will be effective. Brad Treliving will have to make a tough decision in the offseason regarding Chris Tanev, as he hasn't played this season, and with his age becoming a factor and multiple years remaining on his deal, it may be time to find a way to move on from his contract.
Brad Treliving will give Leafs fans answers soon
Brad Treliving and the rest of the staff will have a very important offseason, and truly need to figure out the direction they want to take moving forward. Although it could be a tough decision to move along with a three to four-year rebuild may be the best fit for how this roster is currently built. Leafs fans will see where they decide to go over the course of the next few seasons.