Where Does Toronto Go From Here?

 

Toronto Maple Leafs fans know this feeling all too well. It was an incredible season filled with a superstar piling up 69 goals, drama surrounding key injuries, and a heartbreaking ending. The regular season was relatively stress-free with a playoff berth seemingly never out of the question. But as many seasons in Toronto go, a Game 7 first-round exit sent Leafs fans home sad.

The news of a coaching change circled the internet recently as Sheldon Keefe was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Maple Leafs. This now makes one of the most coveted jobs in hockey left vacant. While important and necessary, a coaching change is the tip of the iceberg regarding personnel change needed in Toronto. A large cloud over the franchise is the cap purgatory they have amassed for themselves with the large contracts given to their top-end talent. With player moves needed, the roster for the start of next season could look drastically different

Now let’s play GM, here is the direction I’d take the Maple Leafs as we look ahead to this offseason:

Coaching Search

Let’s look at candidates to man the bench of the Maple Leafs for the 24-25 season. There is going to be a splash made by Toronto. Don’t expect another AHL coach promotion like Leafs fans saw with Keefe back in 2019. The names to watch are Jay Woodcroft, Gerard Gallant, and Craig Berube.

Jay Woodcroft

Woodcroft is a Toronto native with experience coaching a generational superstar. Woodcroft spent a season and a half manning the Edmonton Oilers’ bench. During this season Connor McDavid put together a 153-point campaign. On top of McDavid’s stellar season, Draisatil and Nugent-Hopkins had 128 and 108-point seasons respectively.  If you are a fan of the Leafs, these stats are encouraging to you. A worry about a new Head Coach coming to Toronto is their potential inability to maximize production for the stars who already occupy their locker room. In Woodcroft’s only full season with the Oilers, they finished second in the Western Conference and had a second-round exit in the playoffs.

Gerard Gallant

Gallant resurfaces as a top coaching candidate after last coaching the New York Rangers to a (47-22-13) season in 2022-23. Furthermore, Gallant was fired due to the Rangers blowing a 2-0 series lead to the New Jersey Devils in round 1. A downfall of the Leafs has always been their grittiness and toughness needed to succeed in the playoffs. Gallant has a fiery personality and is known for maximizing production out of bottom-end role players. He was able to coach the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup Finals loss in their inaugural season. He would bring the energy and toughness that could change the culture of the Leafs organization.

Craig Berube

Berube is a Stanley Cup Champion who was fired this season by the Blues. Berube spent 4 full seasons as head coach in St. Louis, leading them to a Stanley Cup in 2018-19. His first three seasons with the Blues were filled with high Western Conference seeds, playoff runs, and a star-studded roster. Leading up to his firing, the Blues lost the stars which led the way for Berube’s success. Berube balanced production from his superstars (O’Reilly & Tarasenko) while maximizing the output of his depth pieces. The Maple Leafs need a culture setter with experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Berube’s resume checks all the boxes for what Toronto lacks within their playstyle and hiring him could lead to some postseason success.

Roster Reconstruction

Which Star gets Dealt?

Mitch Marner is the name that comes to mind. A deal including Marner would likely return a star paired with cap space flexibility for the Leafs. Here are a few trade possibilities to fill some holes for the Toronto Maple Leafs:

Mitch Marner and Joseph Woll to Anaheim for Cam Fowler and John Gibson (Anaheim retains salary)

For a team looking to rebuild, Anaheim could move on from two of their older veterans. Gibson has expressed his desire to leave Anaheim for a franchise setup to win. The Leafs could be an ideal landing spot as they’ve been unable to find a true number-one goalie. Fowler would provide much-needed quality depth on the blueline with the possibility of taking over for Rielly as the top defenceman. For the Ducks, this deal would be enticing.  Anaheim has the cap space to pay Marner while also retaining the salaries of their pieces being dealt out. Equally, Woll has the potential to be a true number-one goalie but hasn’t been able to stay healthy. If he were able to stay on the ice he could fit Toronto’s system. Although, with his inability to do so, the timeline of Toronto’s aging core better suits a goalie in his prime.

Mitch Marner + Pieces to Calgary for Rasmus Andersson and Jacob Markstrom

You will begin to see a pattern with these pieces the Leafs are receiving. A top 4 defenseman and starting goalie are at the top of the wishlist this offseason. For Calgary, Markstrom has a lackluster 2023-24 season but could be in large part due to the roster playing in front of him. He would add stability and experience to a Leafs roster. Andersson would add a top defenseman not known for his offensive prowess but rather toughness and reliability. Andersson paired with Morgan Reilly would be a defensive pairing Leafs’ fans have desired for a decade.

Mitch Marner and Nick Robertson + picks to St. Louis for Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich (St. Louis retains salary)

This trade would be a win-win for both squads. St. Louis has exciting young pieces in Kyrou and Thomas, adding Marner would solidify a playoff contender-like top line. On the other side, Parayko would add a veteran presence to the Maple Leafs’ defense while Buchnevich could fit in on one of the top 2 lines. This trade comes down to how much the Blues value Buchnevich and their desire to acquire young exciting skaters.