Another year, another NHL season where the Leafs fall short of playoff expectations.

But this time, it is much more frustrating. Last offseason, the Leafs had one of their more notable offseasons by bringing in Craig Berube as Head Coach, alongside Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Anthony Stolarz, which have paid off in droves.

However, where does the team go from here?

Core Four Breakup

It can be pretty much set in stone that the core four will most likely break up at the end of the year. John Tavares is 34, and is a UFA unless he re-signs. According to David Pagnotta, Tavares will most likely need to sign a 2-3 year deal within the $6 million AAV range in order to remain with the club.

Marner, on the other hand, is also a UFA, and will be a top free-agent on the market this July 1st if negotiations reach that point. Despite the reputation that Marner has this season, he is still a 100-plus point player who was a point-per-game in the playoffs this year. He will most likely command above the $10 million mark in either scenario (re-signs or leaves TOR), and there are reports that teams like Chicago, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Utah have all expressed interest in him if he were to hit the open market.

There is also a slight chance (maybe a percent or two) that Auston Matthews will also leave the team if the offer is right. Matthews is currently halfway through a four-year deal that will take him to the 2027-2028 season, with a cap hit of $13.25 million. If a deal were to get done, it would most likely be a Mikko Rantanen-style blockbuster deal that would see a lot of capital in return. As for Nylander, I doubt he moves. He took a big step up in the regular season, and was big for the Leafs points-wise throughout the playoffs as well.

Culture Change and Management

Fans and the media have also questioned whether the current upper management is competent enough to lead the team to the promised land.

Within the last two offseasons, the Maple Leafs have swapped out both the Head Coach, General Manager, as well as fine-tuned the roster; which leaves the upper management up for discussion.

Most likely, this would mean that current President and longtime NHLer Brendan Shanahan would go.  Since Shanahan’s hiring in 2014, the Maple Leafs have qualified for the playoffs all but twice (three times if you don’t count the qualifying round in 2020) and have made the second round a grand total of twice, both within the last three years. Although there is progress, it is not enough for fans of a team that have waited almost an entire lifetime to see the team at least sniff the Stanley Cup Finals. It is doubtful that a full-blown culture-swap will be done considering Shanahan did a similar move when he was hired.

If Shanahan does get fired or leaves to join the Isles, expect the role to be changed slightly so that people more involved in hockey operations are responsible for roster construction.

Other Problems

For those calling to blow it up- I wouldn’t do it just yet.

The Leafs don’t have a first-round pick until 2028 and a fairly dry farm system. Although guys like Alex Steeves are in the minors currently, the two probably most notable prospects within the system are Ben Danford and Easton Cowan. The biggest shot to the farm system has to be Fraser Minten, who was almost a point per game in his first 11 games with the Providence Bruins.

This is also The best the Leafs have been in a long time. The few playoff series wins that the Leafs have gotten in this era have all come within the last few years, alongside one of the deepest teams in terms of scoring and defense I have personally witnessed.

If the Leafs want to get on the fans’ good side, at least make a few of the see changes alongside the usual additions to add that winning ‘boost.’