They don't need to sell-off but they definitely need to ship some people out. The biggest problem with this team is none of these players have any heart. Especially the leadership. None of the top guys on this team are players who would do anything to win. Their skill is unbelievable, but this isn't a skill contest or all-star game, it's a hockey game & skill is only one part of it.
They need to drop their obsession with offense, they have enough. They need two guys, minimum, who don't need to put up any points, just be in the right position defensively. Think about it, if one person on the ice is always in good position it helps the other players be in good position too. If player X always maintains good position and you know where you should be off of him, it's almost 2nd nature. It's why Mike Babcock started splitting Zetterberg & Datsyuk up. Their chemistry and play together was unreal, but if you split them up and they are on two different lines, that's two lines where you can count on people being in pretty good defensive position. I know it was talk about spreading the offense out but that is just a press answer. Same thing with defenseman. When one person on the ice is in great position, as long as no one is standing directly next to him, it aides in the rest of your players being in good position.
There seems to be very little-to-zero people on the Maple Leafs who care to play the right way. I know people claim Matthews is good defensively, and at best he is just that: good. If he wants to be great, he needs to be great. They are playing like the Rich Kid teams i used to love to play in tournaments. Just make sure they don't get away with all their fancy pick-up game crap and you can roll'em because the game is no fun to them if it gets tough.
The team make up is wrong, and it's because nobody is contributing a winning attitude, no one is displaying the "enough is enough" attitude and making a change happen instead of waiting for it. Look at the veteran players they have or had, they're all players who've been good enough in their careers but not great. Marleau has never won anything what's his claim to fame, that iron man streak or how long he's been in the league and done nothing. Spezza has always been of that ilk, Dion Phaneuf the same rep. All really great NHL talents but they're just not champions
I was hopeful John Tavares would help change the culture in the locker room here but I think his personality is too muted to take over or infect a locker room. You can see that no one is really playing for each other, the locker room is either divided and people aren't playing for each other or they're all too good of buds and no one is calling anyone out and show the rest of the team "this is how you do work". I mean at the very least you think they would have emotion & motivation to prove Mike Babcock wrong, that they can win their way with their line up. Probably doesn't help to have a GM who seems to share the same mindset. I think Mike Babcock & Sheldon Keefe have been the only people who have really said "this effort is not good enough" or something to the effect. Excuses levied almost every where else.
The Leafs have a ton of talent but they have no winning culture. No one in that locker room is going to 'Big Dog' the top guys and step up and speak up, and I don't think any of the big name guys care to deliver a different message. Leafs now need culture guys, they have 0.