Following a pitiful 2014-15 season, the Maple Leafs, under the direction of President Brendan Shanahan, declared war on mediocrity and underachievement at every level within the organization. From scouting to coaching to on-ice personnel, the gauntlet was dropped, and the oft-silent architect and chief engineer of the Leafs’ rebuild let his actions speak where his words were few.
The Great(ish) Maple Leafs Debate
Mass firings ensued, and a legendary coach with a winning track record at every level in the game was hired. A winger with perennial 80-point potential and a questionable level of commitment was unceremoniously traded for futures. Another legend, notorious for his by-the-book approach, became the Leafs’ general manager. That’s some serious organizational stability, between Shanahan, General Manager Lou Lamorieillo and Head Coach Mike Babcock, and if the inmates thought they’d be running the asylum again this year, they’d be… well, all kinds of crazy…
The Leafs entered last season’s amateur draft with their highest pick since 1989, when they selected Scott Thornton 3rd overall, and their most important draft in decades was approached without a general manager in place. The Leafs left Sunrise, Florida with a nifty new showpiece added to the fold by the name of Mitch Marner, who finished last weekend with eleven points while netting back-to-back hat tricks, for a whopping 45 points over the previous fifteen games with the London Knights. Currently, he has 58 points over 25 games this season. Yep, you read that correctly. He’s something of a hockey machine, young Mr. Marner, and he’s probably going to become a Maple Leaf sooner than you might think.
He who bears both the number and the competitive tenacity of a Leaf legend we all call “Killer” will be ineligible for an AHL roster spot next season, and he is already too far ahead of the pack to play in the “O,” where he waltzes through defenders like he has them hypnotized. Next year, he’s going to need a new challenge, but the present one facing young #93 (IIHF World Juniors notwithstanding) is to put on some serious man-muscle and prepare for the Leafs training camp in the Fall of 2016.
Back to that debate that’s just a couple degrees from becoming red-hot around Leaf Nation…
Let’s be honest here: After all the-false starts and broken dreams Leaf fans have endured, it’s natural to feel entitled to a little consolation, in the form of a top-tier lottery pick. That would go a long way in placating painful recollections of Tomas Kaberle allegedly refusing a trade that would have yielded Jeff Carter; Mats Sundin denying the Leafs a package of Chris Higgins and a first rounder from Montreal in exchange for a short-term rental, only to ultimately retire a Canuck; or more recently, the forfeiture of high draft picks for immediate help in the form of Phil Kessel which all ended in tears – it’s all been a lot to take in. A crack at a future legend like a Connor McDavid or a Jack Eichel or similar seems reasonable enough, doesn’t it? Have the hockey gods not smote Leaf Nation long enough?
Some lifelong supporters had that mindset, albeit briefly. Last years’ Leafs were among the most unwatchable, unlikeable squad ever assembled in all of pro sports. If the players couldn’t care enough to show some pride then why should the long-suffering fans? Bring on the tank, right?
Problem is, that legendary coach “Shanny” convinced to lead the charge has this rag-tag collective of castoffs and underachievers playing meaningful hockey just a month after the season began. They bought in en masse and are now committed to playing a heavy, puck possession type of hockey that makes them difficult to beat on any given night. They really don’t like to lose.
Despite the slow start (one win, 11 losses in October), with the way the Leafs are playing they are probably too good at this point to finish in the bottom three and grab that future franchise piece they may need (or deserve) to become contenders.
The one shred of hope “Tank Nation” still clings to is that this incarnation might have been engineered to be dismantled wholesale at the trade deadline. Shawn Matthias, Brad Boyes, Michael Grabner, P.A. Parenteau, Roman Polak, and perhaps even James van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov, Jake Gardiner or Dion Phaneuf could be among those thought to be deadline deal targets by teams in the playoff hunt looking to fortify their lineup. Some might suggest even Nazem Kadri is being “coached up” to be dealt.
If the Leafs’ prospects have shown that they are ready to compete in the NHL by the deadline, Lamoriello will need to determine whether they are best served by those prospects making a Calder Cup run as a group versus the advantages of gaining valuable NHL experience for a couple months during “garbage time.”
Lottery pick notwithstanding, the opportunity to cash in a few chips on those short-term contracts may be something of a tipping point in the outcome of that decision as well.
If you love hockey, you simply can’t feel good about cheering against your team or resenting them for winning this early in the season, not even for a shot at Auston Matthews. Not if they are playing with pride. Just as a loss in a hard-fought, well-played game is tolerable, winning as a result of honest effort shouldn’t sting, even in the midst of a rebuild.
Teams that play a well structured game still need elite talent to win. Are the Leafs of tomorrow – the Marners, William Nylanders and Kasperi Kapanens – going to be able to provide that kind of elite skill? Should they jettison the short-term hired guns who won’t be part of the future and focus on NHL experience for the kids and subsequent high picks instead of trying to win hockey games? And finally, could they attract a free agent elite piece like a Steven Stamkos, or trade for a Matt Duchene or a Ryan Johansen, two players recently thought to be in play?
We all have opinions on these matters, but answers aren’t as easy to come by. I’d personally be content with a 6th or 7th overall selection in the next draft, a few prospects acquired via trade, and a run at a Stamkos or an Anze Kopitar than a blatant tank job a la Buffalo, especially with the new lottery rules coming into play this year which make the odds of being rewarded for failure a lot less likely. You just can’t cheer against these guys when they finally play like they hate to lose.
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