After a whirlwind of a season, followed by another somewhat disappointing first-round post-season exit by the Toronto Maple Leafs, it seems the team is headed in quite a direction far from what the fans have been familiar with.
Hiring the new coaching staff will define the Leafs team’s needs stemming from the need for more accountability with their performances during the regular season and, more importantly, the post-season next year.
The new coaching staff, led by Craig Berube, is set to bring a new level of toughness and approach to the players. This, along with the stick-handling approach of Lane Lambert and the offensive zone coverage of Marc Savard, could be the key to the team's future success.
Not to mention, will Mitch Marner be traded during these coming months? Which team would make sense for the star forward, and what return will the Toronto Maple Leafs be expecting? His offensive prowl is valued, but his playoff performance is still problematic to coaches.
The positives of the off-season for the Toronto Maple Leafs
After signing Joseph Woll to a three-year contract extension worth $3.5-$4 million AAV, it will give Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving more cap space to work with and perhaps trade two-star forwards for a more polished forward lineup.
Provided the Toronto Maple Leafs management and coaching staff already know which direction they are heading toward, the mystery surrounding the team is quite the excitement the fans will have to wait for to see.
Including what plans President Brenden Shanahan will have up his sleeve regarding the matter and how much patience he has left after making significant changes to the team. And will he be involved with the trades and acquisitions management will be working on?
The 2025 NHL Free Agency will be arriving upon us, and what is the diagnosis of the team’s need for the future there? Will they select a defenseman or a forward to complement their three prospected forwards, who are slated to play on the same line next year?
Many questions remain with this team in general as the season has begun
More importantly, a new direction perhaps is the correct answer for the Leafs woes, giving the players a better outlook on playing. Acquiring a solid top-six forward must be on their priority list, and two bottom-six forwards would help develop the team’s need for leadership, grit, and toughness.
Sprucing up the lineup with the additions of a young bright forward or two may help the team's future excel in a young and healthy way of playing a faster game with speed attached to the team’s credentials.
The most exciting aspect to look forward to is how the team will be composed, including the moves that will be made to complement the team’s needs and then the starting lineup for the next season, as I reiterate.
To think management will be content with the same scenario headed into the year will be absurd, and noting that players are fed up with the same scenario is something that the coaching staff will not slide.
However, depending on the cap space situation,giving a couple of pieces on the team a second chance may surface and play their part for the Toronto Maple Leafs, which will be a considerable part of decisions made on behalf of management.
What is expected by the GM of the Maple Leafs?
GM Brad Treliving will have his hands cut out for him this season. Still, the moves he made during the trade deadline last regular season were brilliant because he tried to bolster the defensive side of the Leafs with minimal options to his advantage where it may have worked if the team made it to the second round of the playoffs this past year.
He is quite the experienced GM, and utilizing a few picks to build a section of the team has been the motivating aspect of his tenure thus far.
After the smoke has cleared with the final roster next year, all eyes will be on the coaching staff and how they approach the players with their guidance and leadership overall, not to mention the gameplay attached to their arsenal for the players on the roster.
Given that the team is ready to proceed with the aspects discussed, it will provide the fans with a notable list of changes the team said they would make. For a team that has suffered heartbreaking losses in the past seasons, the tracks are already well on their way to being readjusted to an excelling setting with a poised season ahead.