"The Leafs started this season talking about a Stanley Cup pursuit and currently find themselves in the Eastern Conference basement. The seat couldn't possibly get any hotter. While Treliving has vowed that he can't trade himself out of this predicament, it hasn't kept the general manager from gauging the market on his players to see if some kind of shakeup is out there."
"Johnston's comments seem to indicate Treliving painted himself into a corner. Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua have been largely duds. Max Domi hasn't been very consistent, while the other bottom-six role players like Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz have carried their weight. As for the blue line, Brandon Carlo hasn't quite been the player Treliving hoped he'd be. The injury to Chris Tanev has exposed the Maple Leafs' lack of depth, as blueliners like Philippe Myers have been an unmitigated disaster."
"Yes, Treliving can't trade his way out of this situation. But there really isn't much he can do. He can try to swing deals, but there's no silver bullet out there. It's either this team or bust. The next step would be a massive retool on the fly. That's about as easy as landing humans on the moon. It's possible, but Treliving has very little runway to make that work this season."
The Toronto Maple Leafs sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference despite occasional wins and a tight race that still allows for recovery. GM Brad Treliving made several offseason moves that have not produced expected results, placing him under intense scrutiny. Several forwards, including Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua, have underperformed while Max Domi has been inconsistent; some bottom-six players have provided stability. Defensive depth has been revealed as a problem after Chris Tanev's injury, with Brandon Carlo and Philippe Myers failing to meet expectations. A midseason massive retool appears impractical, leaving hope for larger changes in the offseason.
Read at Editor In Leaf
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]