TORONTO – Stick to the course. Stick to the plan.
We are close to pain. Closer than it looks.
After their sixth straight defeat in the first round of the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs will settle seven times on the Shanaplan plan.
They have seen enough progress in this sad series of disappointments in the playoffs to not only believe in their strategy, but to believe more. Six years of harsh reality, damn it.
“Certainly, as we look forward to next year, there will always be new faces. With that in mind, we will not make changes just to say we have made changes, “said Brendan Shanahan, entering his eighth year in office and still hunting round 2.
“Despite the fact that we failed to finish Tampa in Game 6 and Game 7, I saw a different team and a different approach.”
There is no sign that the off-ice approach, at least publicly, will change.
History will dictate whether Leaf Nation will be rewarded for the loyalty and faith of this regime or thwarted by perseverance and arrogance – and will be left with a reduced set of choices and prospects.
During a sweep of the club’s cupboards on Tuesday, Shanahan gave Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keef firm support for the 2022-2023 season.
Dubas not only supported Keefe, but said the idea of attracting experienced free agents Barry Trotz and Peter De Boer did not cross his mind.
“I just think Sheldon will continue to improve,” Dubas said. “And I think when we talk about Sheldon in 10, 15 years, it will be the same as you [speak about] these two great coaches. And I think it’s going to be played here in Toronto.
On the surface, no one lit a fire under anyone.
Maybe it’s just smart PR.
What would be troubling, however, is this: perhaps it is complacency.
The air of disappointment, the oaths to dig deeper, the gloomy tones as Leaves packed her things for the summer, everything seemed so familiar. Just part of the cycle.
“As much as victory can bring people together,” Shanahan said, “learning how to deal with a broken heart and the devastation of failure, depending on what kind of relationship you have, can also bring you closer.”
What if for these regular season superstars, Round 2 becomes the new Stanley Cup, as the RFA became the new UFA?
“I don’t think playing in a passionate hockey market will allow comfort to penetrate the group,” Shanahan said.
The thing is, a lot of supporters seem happy with that, essentially as it is. Let it go. We hope that Maple Leafs are 100 percent healthy again, that they will draw an easier opponent and that next time they will really learn their lesson.
I posted a poll on Twitter on Monday to assess who fans would like to see pay for another long golf season, and 66.9% of the 27,200 voters are happy to put this core back with little change on the periphery.
Where should Maple Leafs start with change?
– Luke Fox (@lukefoxjukebox) May 16, 2022
Although his actions will speak louder this summer, Dubas says he is still content with allocating an excessive percentage of his hat seat to four strikers (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander) and an attackingly talented defender. (Morgan Riley).
Even after losing many “do or die” games from organizations that invested more in goalkeepers, defense and depth of the bottom six.
“I think the contracts with these players that you mention give us a lot of value in the way they produce, in the way they keep evolving as they go through their contract. So I don’t feel sorry for them at all, “said Dubas, ready to go with money for David Kempf and Michael Bunting in 2023.
“The reality in the league right now is that you probably won’t be able to spend as much as you want for these depths. And you’re really going to have to do a great job of finding value, whether it’s someone who hurts, someone who hasn’t been given a great opportunity, [or] someone is coming out of a bad year when you see something. “
In a game of goal line reviews and phantom high sticks, the Maple Leafs believe they are just “one shot away,” as Captain John Tavares put it.
No serious surgery is needed.
Just a few more bargain gems, a few extra hours at the gym. A few less careless penalties, convert with a few more powerful games.
“We are slowly understanding the way we have to play,” said William Nilander.
“There’s a significant profit here that I don’t think you can get anywhere,” Jason Speza added. “We need more justice – this stubbornness not to accept losing a match. It’s in the room. It’s definitely in the room. These guys are learning how hard it is. ”
As well as Shanahan and Dubas.
The brass will do everything possible to sell the stable veteran Marc Giordano on Spezza’s salary program. They will explore the expansion of Jack Campbell, but also alternatives to the goalkeeping market. The fringes ahead will be juggled and a few released.
But to hear those who decide to say so, most of all, what Maple Leafs needs is a seventh playoff game.
That should work.
And they’ve done enough insightful work to get one.
Add Comment