The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ struggles were well-documented by the media this season. Whether it was Mitch Marner underperforming and making his gargantuan contract seem more insane by the minute or the perennial lackluster defense that continues to be the primary flaw for the team, the Leafs simply weren’t good enough this year.
Many names can be thrown under the bus, but it does not start with any singular person, it starts with the culture surrounding the team itself, along with the lack of consistency that plagued this team. Heads may roll this offseason, as a disappointing loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Qualifying Round of the NHL playoffs will leave a bad taste in the mouths of many. That, along with missing out on projected number one overall pick Alexis Lafreniere simply sank the spirits of Leafs fans around the world. Now, the major question surrounding the Maple Leafs is: “What’s Next?”
Inconsistency. This was the major theme in the Toronto Maple Leafs season this year. It was nearly impossible for the Maple Leafs to have consecutive games where they performed to the best of their abilities. This can be due to many factors such as injuries or getting bombarded with back-to-backs. The problem here is that every NHL team goes through these same issues. The inconsistency is due to their mental fragility and the lack of mental strength many of the players have.

This may seem harsh, but it can be seen clearly in their last two playoff exits at the hands of the Boston Bruins. The Bruins are a good team, but the Leafs are right there with them in raw talent. The difference is that the Bruins live rent-free in the Leafs head, preventing them from getting over the hump time and time again.
This past series with the Columbus Blue Jackets was a rollercoaster, but it came crashing to a halt when the Leafs, in Leafs fashion, blew a 3-0 lead to a team that has struggled to score all season. This was another example of them getting in their own heads; however, when the Leafs came back from being down three goals, it seemed as if the narrative could have changed. Instead, they laid an egg in Game 5 and were promptly eliminated by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The lack of mental strength is something that can be hard to overcome and is understandable in many regards. One thing that is inexcusable is the overpayment of many players on the roster, making it practically impossible to upgrade their defense which is the glaring flaw on their top-heavy roster.
Morgan Rielly is a good defenseman and was the only good one on the ice for the Leafs in Game 5 of the series against the Blue Jackets. The seeming lack of effort being placed to improve the defense core this season by Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Kyle Dubas should be alarming. The Tyson Barrie trade was a disaster in hindsight, and this past Trade Deadline only saw the acquisition of depth defenseman Calle Rosen.
While one could argue that this small sample size of five games should not result in major changes coming, it is the inconsistent, embarrassing play of the 70 regular-season games before it that should. While some should stay they should give this core another year to age and grow, it is evident that this roster as constructed will achieve nothing more than another Game 7 loss to Boston next year in the playoffs.

John Smark