Insider shares some disappointing news about the Maple Leafs
Since the quarter-mark of the season, the belief has been that the Leafs are going to be buyers at the trade deadline. However, in recent weeks, with the team displaying fairly consistent struggles, there have been questions surrounding whether or not the team should just punt on this season and instead sell off expiring assets to recoup some picks and/or younger, cost-controlled assets.
At the moment, the Leafs are sitting in the 1st Wild Card spot, sitting behind the likes of Tampa, Florida and Boston in the Atlantic Division standings. Normally, this wouldn't be a huge concern just past the midway point of the season, but with the Leafs having the hardest remaining schedule of any team in the National Hockey League, it's going to be tough sledding the rest of the way and this team does not appear to be built to survive it.
One Insider, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, appeared on TLN's Leafs Morning Take on Thursday and discussed what his sources have been telling him about the Leafs over the past few days and fans who were hoping for a lengthy playoff run this year may not want to hear it.
Based on the conversations around the league, I don't get the sense that they feel - at least up top - that this is their year. They're not a player or two away from chasing a Stanley Cup, legitimately. There are a few other cosmetic changes that are going to need to happen and it doesn't sound like they're there yet."
If the Leafs aren't going to buy at the deadline and pursue a long playoff run then perhaps it is the best option to look at pieces like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and T.J. Brodie and try to part them out to new homes at the deadline to recoup some assets. For a team who doesn't have a lot of draft capital over the next few seasons, it's just smart asset management.
Obviously, this isn't the news that anyone really wanted to hear, I'm sure, but it's simply the harsh reality of a hard salary cap league. Teams like the Leafs can't flex their financial muscle as much as they'd like to and with how they've structured their roster, they've painted themselves into a bit of a corner over the next season or two until John Tavares' contract comes off the books.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 26 | 616 ANSWERS Insider shares some disappointing news about the Maple Leafs Should the Maple Leafs punt on this season and try to build for next year instead? | ||
| Yes | 241 | 39.1 % |
| No | 375 | 60.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
