I'm not sure "blow it up" is the right thing to do, but certainly there needs to be substantial change.
The reality is, even if this team pushes it to game 7, where they would almost certainly lose in classic Leafs fashion... they're due for a step back next year.
The cap is going up $4m league wide (meaning signing players iwll get more expensive), and they've already committed $5.5m in raises to Matthews & Nylander.
Basically take this year's team, and subtract a Tyler Bertuzzi out of it, to have an idea of what they could reasonably put on the ice next year.
If they're smart, they'll idenfity this problem, and lean into it, building for 25-26 when Tavares is off the books.
To do that, you've gotta ask yourself, even if you think keeping the other big 3 is a good idea, are they as a trio going to last another year of ridicule and scrutiny, followed by maybe sneaking into the playoffs beofre a likely first round exit.
I think if you're Toronto, you've gotta "buy" a year mentally.
Trade one of the 3 (probably Marner) for a combination of futures / young roster players.
Get Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten into the lineup. Maybe you leave that 4th line C spot open for Minten & Steeves to battle over. Get Robertson up in the lineup alongside Knies. Maybe your 3rd pair next year is Simon Benoit and Topi Niemla.
Let it be a "re-tool" year. Come 25-26, Tavares frees up a ton of cap space. The cap likely continues to rise, nad the Leafs have a stable of young talent contributing, to add big fish.
The reality is, even if this team pushes it to game 7, where they would almost certainly lose in classic Leafs fashion... they're due for a step back next year.
The cap is going up $4m league wide (meaning signing players iwll get more expensive), and they've already committed $5.5m in raises to Matthews & Nylander.
Basically take this year's team, and subtract a Tyler Bertuzzi out of it, to have an idea of what they could reasonably put on the ice next year.
If they're smart, they'll idenfity this problem, and lean into it, building for 25-26 when Tavares is off the books.
To do that, you've gotta ask yourself, even if you think keeping the other big 3 is a good idea, are they as a trio going to last another year of ridicule and scrutiny, followed by maybe sneaking into the playoffs beofre a likely first round exit.
I think if you're Toronto, you've gotta "buy" a year mentally.
Trade one of the 3 (probably Marner) for a combination of futures / young roster players.
Get Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten into the lineup. Maybe you leave that 4th line C spot open for Minten & Steeves to battle over. Get Robertson up in the lineup alongside Knies. Maybe your 3rd pair next year is Simon Benoit and Topi Niemla.
Let it be a "re-tool" year. Come 25-26, Tavares frees up a ton of cap space. The cap likely continues to rise, nad the Leafs have a stable of young talent contributing, to add big fish.
