What does a retool look like for the Maple Leafs?
There are more questions than answers regarding the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs elected to end things with general manager Brad Treliving after less than three seasons earlier this week, with CEO Keith Pelley coming out on Tuesday stating that the organization isn’t looking at rebuilding, but retooling in order to continue to challenge for a playoff spot, and ultimately a Stanley Cup.
There’s the question of what players would do if things start to change in Toronto, with forward William Nylander noting he’d be willing to stick it out with the team through a retool, but not a full-blown rebuild.
On Thursday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, David Pagnotta joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton to discuss what moves the future Leafs GM could make in a retool.
David Pagnotta: The goal will be to make the playoffs next season, at the very least. They want to get competitive. That was the same kind of mindset before the GM change. Get back in contention. Get back in the playoffs. You’ve seen what other teams can do. We’re looking at Boston. We’re looking at Buffalo. We’re looking at Pittsburgh, Detroit…those teams that weren’t in it last season that have revived and rejuvenated themselves this year. With the pieces that they have, and Keith Pelley talked about this, he mentioned [John] Tavares and Nylander and [Matthew] Knies and [Auston] Matthews as the main guys. They’ve got foundational pieces in place.
So, to retool, will be adding the right complementary pieces to this roster, along with potential other changes perhaps on the back end. I do think Morgan Rielly’s name is going to continue to pop up in the offseason. You’ve got a pretty solid base, but all the other pieces that have come in just haven’t gelled and haven’t clicked and it hasn’t worked. So, to retool will be step one is getting back in the playoffs next season, and then it can be for the Stanley Cup in the foreseeable future. That will be part of it.
That direction obviously will come at the hands of whoever is in charge. It’s a matter of having that discussion with Willie. It’s a matter of having that discussion with the captain, Auston Matthews, which will happen after the season. Keith Pelley said he exchanged text messages with Matthews on Tuesday morning, but then later on admitted that he will have a full conversation with the captain, presumably after the season, and that’s going to dictate as well what they’re going to do.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…