Maple Leafs Remain Stubborn With Core

The Toronto Maple Leafs will likely stick with their core players for another season despite a lack of success.

Jan 18, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) celebrates his goal with center Auston Matthews (34) during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports / Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs have consistently been one of the NHL’s best teams for nearly a decade, but they’ve only won one playoff round in the last eight years. How can a team with that much talent have no real success to speak of?

Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares are considered the Maple Leafs’ “Core Four” and bring most of the hype in Toronto, but they might also be the source of constant failure.

The Maple Leafs have been rolling with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander since they became regular NHLers in 2016-17. They added Tavares in 2018, thinking that could help get them over the hump—no such luck.

That group is undoubtedly four of the best players in the NHL right now, but something isn’t working, and nothing has been done about it. Changes have come after each heartbreaking playoff defeat, but nothing to make major waves.

Moves have usually centered around changing the supporting cast or depth, which they aren’t able to spend a ton of cash on because they have over $45 million locked up in those four players. Add a $7.5 million defender in Morgan Rielly, and they’re even more handcuffed.

Not many organizations would sit idly by as successful regular seasons continue to be wasted once the playoffs roll around. Why hasn’t anything been done? On the surface, it feels like the Maple Leafs front office is too afraid to rock the boat.

“There is a sense that you don’t want to force something,” TSN reporter Mark Masters said on OverDrive. “Clearly, they have faith in the core. That’s what this era is going to be remembered for.”

If the Maple Leafs aren’t careful, an entire era will be wasted. Not wanting to force something is a stale position at this point. It’s been eight seasons, and no success has been seen.

The closest the Maple Leafs got to a move was when former general manager Kyle Dubas suggested it might be time for a change within the core. They fired Dubas within a week.

The core has done nothing but prove they’re regular season juggernauts, but nothing else. It’ll likely be the same pattern heading into the 2024-25 season.

Marner and Tavares are entering the final year of their contracts and would be perfect trade candidates, but it’s unlikely either of them will get dealt.

The Maple Leafs have changed lineups, coaches, and front-office staffers on multiple occasions. Through all that, the core (and president Brendan Shanahan) has stuck around. At some point, you have to look at the most common denominator. The core can’t get it done.

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