Toronto’s early-season slide has worsened, leaving the Maple Leafs at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with mounting questions about their trajectory.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had Sunday off. During that time, the Buffalo Sabres defeated the mighty Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 to move out of the Eastern Conference basement and surrender that spot to Toronto.
It’s a shocking development. Nobody expected the Leafs to be in this spot beyond the first quarter of the NHL season. Not since the 2015-16 season, when Toronto was actively tanking, has the club been in this position. The following summer, they drafted Auston Matthews with the first overall pick and began what is currently the longest active playoff streak in the league at nine consecutive years.
At 9-10-3, the Leafs also have the worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference at -8. They are about to embark on a five-game road trip beginning Wednesday against a Columbus Blue Jackets team that has already defeated them twice this season. They are 1-6-0 on the road this year. Oh, and the Leafs don’t have their first-round pick this season unless it lands in the top 5.
There’s not a lot to be optimistic about. Couple that with the mounting injuries—including Matthews (lower-body), Matthew Knies (lower-body), Nicolas Roy (upper-body), Jake McCabe (upper-body), Chris Tanev (upper-body, LTIR), Brandon Carlo (lower-body), and Anthony Stolarz (upper-body)—and there is little reason to believe the Leafs can shift away from their current malaise.
Maple Leafs Injury Notes: Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies Practice With Team, Doubtful Vs. Canadiens
Despite practicing with the team in full on Friday, Matthews and Knies are "doubtful" to play on Saturday against Montreal.
Following head coach Craig Berube’s exasperated pleas to see his team play better after falling behind in a 5-2 loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, the temperature has risen, and the seats are very hot. They need help, but the assets they have in the system are so depleted that selling them off for short-term help makes little sense. Yet, the window to compete on a regular basis with their stars appears to be shrinking as the core gets older.
The Leafs have only been able to get help via the waiver wire, something they have done to shore up all three positions (goaltender Cayden Primeau, since re-claimed by Carolina; forward Sammy Blais; and defenseman Troy Stecher).
Why The Maple Leafs Claimed Troy Stecher Off Waivers From The Oilers
Stecher joins the Maple Leafs after playing six games with the Oilers to begin the season.
It’s hard to see things getting much worse for the Leafs, but what is most baffling is that injuries don’t seem to be the primary reason the team isn't playing well. It appears to be deeper.
But what do you do?
Relieving Berube of his duties makes little sense for a coach who is just in his second year with the club. He helped guide them to their best recent playoff success, albeit the final two home games were some of the worst playoff hockey seen in Toronto. It only makes sense to fire him if you have made up your mind on someone else who is available.
'We're A Veteran Team, It's Inexcusable': Craig Berube Has No Answers For Maple Leafs' Inability To Play Hard When Down In Games
A disastrous second-period in Montreal leaves Craig Berube searching for answers from a veteran roster that simply stops playing when the going gets tough.
And even then, would GM Brad Treliving be the one making that call? He’s already hired one coach, and the question that has to be asked by MLSE boss Keith Pelley is: Is Treliving permitted to make that decision again so soon?
Do the Maple Leafs miss Mitch Marner for what he brought in the regular season? Possibly.
Sitting third in the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights haven’t been setting the world on fire. Their 10-4-7 record masks the fact that they also have more losses (11) than wins (10). And, of course, there was that embarrassing moment in overtime against the Anaheim Ducks where Marner turned the puck over at the net right to Cutter Gauthier for the game-winner.
But I digress. Marner would definitely be helping in this regular season, certainly over the anemic contributions they have gotten from the return on that trade: Matias Maccelli (nine points in 21 games) and Dakota Joshua (five points in 22 games).
But thqat comes down to roster construction and the new additions have no yielded positive returns thus far.
The Leafs have a challenging road ahead. The big question hanging over them is simple: what will they look like when they come back to Toronto after their game on Dec. 4 against the Hurricanes? If it’s more of the same, then a change of direction will certainly be required.
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