Are the Maple Leafs Fine Without Anymore Changes?
Outside of a few depth adds at free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t been too busy. If they are done with the moves, is it enough to compete? David Alter investigates.
We’re well into July and the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t made any radical changes to their roster. When NHL free agency opened up, the club made some big additions on defense. Just a couple of days after acquiring the rights to Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars, the club signed the 34-year-old Toronto native to a six-year contract worth $27 million. The Leafs also added Oliver Ekman-Larsson, signing the Swedish blueliner to a four-year deal worth $3.5 million per season.
But what about up front?
Mitch Marner, as of this writing, remains a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite calls from some fans for a big change in that department, the talented forward remains with the club. And it’s not at all surprising. Afterall, he has one-year remaining on his contract and controls the entire process with a full no-movement clause in his deal.
According the PuckPedia.com, the Leafs have approximately $2.455 million in salary cap space. Is it just a forgone conclusing they will use it to lock up Connor Dewar after his deal is settled. What about Nick Robertson, who reportedly wants out of Toronto. Can he be convinced to stick around?
Can the Leafs Compete?
The Leafs have the star power and depth to have another above-average regular season. The team’s core as it stands has proven they can put up points over the last eight seasons. Are the defensive improvements enough to push the Leafs to more playoff success? The Leafs signed Stanley Cup goalie backup Anthony Stolarz to replace the departing Ilya Samsonov. They are also bringing back Matt Murray as a third option. Is that enough to improve the net behind an injury-prone Joseph Woll?
It’s a big maybe. For a team that said “everything is on the table” there’s good reason why the Maple Leafs don’t go ahead with the tectonic core shift that fans are desiring. And it starts at the very top of the food chain.
Brendan Shanahan has been the helm of the Toronto Maple Leafs since he became president of the franchise in 2014. For the first time since Tim Lieweke departed as Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) CEO a year later, he has a new boss that, unlike his predecessors, is making himself present in ALL aspects of the company, including the sports and media properties. That much was clear on May 9 when Keith Pelley, the new MLSE CEO was present during the Leafs’ end-of-season availability and sat alongside Shanahan and Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
According to reports, Shanahan’s deal runs through to 2025. And while it’s believed that Shanahan’s current deal reports directly to the MLSE board, his next one, if there is a next one, reports to Pelley.
There’s also a reported sunset clause in the current structure of MLSE as a company where Rogers Communications (37.5 percent owners) and Bell Media (37.5 percent owners) can exercise their right to buy out Larry Tanenbaum’s 25 percent stake in the company as part of the telecom’s purchase of the company back in 2011. If that happens, the structure of MLSE can change completely and the way the Maple Leafs will run could be a lot different than it is now.
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With so many things up in the air, it makes sense if the Leafs just play this out. From a fan perspective, it’s another year of waiting and it’s a lot to ask. But with contracts like Marner (10.9million average annual value) and John Tavares ($11 million) coming off the books along with other factors, it may be the right time to just wait and see.