Tear It Down

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Another season full of hope by the ardent Toronto fan base, parade plans mapped out, a spot in the trophy case awaiting another championship. Wishful exchanges among people on the street of "this is our year" and "we've got this" followed by what is now customary post-covid air high fives and elbow taps.

And yet here we are, a few weeks removed from watching the Calgary Flames hoist the championship trophy. The Maple Leafs on the other hand, they of 61 points and a third last finish in the league, did not quite make out as well as the fans hoped. Which really shouldn't be THAT much of a shock to anyone who actually follows this team closely. Led by a 35 year old getting paid 8 million dollars per season (for another two years to boot), the Leafs didn't have enough in their arsenal to compete with the majority of the league last season. 

Now, that isn't to say that there weren't a few glimmers of hope along the way. A four game winning streak to finish the season, another year of experience for Provorov and solid goaltending from Hellebuyck among them. But this was a team that spent all of the way to the cap and didn't have much success to show for it. 

And so, the old adage "what have you done for me lately?" is played. Out with the old and in with the new. With new blood comes new hope. As if bringing in a new face in the GM role will magically spell the end of all the doom and gloom these fans suffer through year after year. The new GM understands the challenge that is in front of him, that the patience among the masses has worn exceedingly thin. This isn't a quick fix by any means. Just as he knows that his addition alone isn't going to be to be a cure all for all that ails this team, there won't be any one move that fixes things either. 

By the time this team becomes close to competing again, a lot of the familiar faces on this team aren't apt to be around, One has to wonder with the compliance buyout coming up, will Parise have played his last game as Leaf? Jarry and Blackwood are knocking on the door of Hellebuyck. Nobody wants a three-headed goalie monster so it's only a matter of time before somebody moves on. There are few if any guarantees when it comes to the roster this year. And with no 1st round pick at the upcoming entry draft and an empty cupboard with regard to the prospects pool, what the opening night lineup will look like is anyone's guess. 

Whether via the trade route, free agency, or buyouts, this GM has promised to leave no stone unturned when looking for talent to plug into the line-up. Add into the mix that the team also has a coaching vacancy to fill and the work that lays ahead is monumental. 

"There's nothing to hide behind right now. We're not kidding anyone if we say that we can compete right away. This isn't a rebuild on the fly or a team that is just a few tweaks from being a contender. We understand from an organizational standpoint that we're basically at rock bottom but in knowing that we're now in a position to build from the ground up and do it the right way," he said via Zoom during the teams introduction of the new GM. He added, "we're talking to everyone. We're open for business and taking offers on everyone. Should the guys on our team be worried about their spot on this team next year? Hell yes they should be. These guys want to win and aren't satisfied with the way last season went so we're hoping that everyone who is wearing a Maple Leaf on their jersey next season are willing to buy in and fight to be on the ice every night."

He also noted that their have been preliminary discussions with a few names regarding the coaching position. He didn't name anyone specific but said that the person who gets hired will be someone who is on board with the new ideology of the organization. 

He's said all of the right things so far, but it's far too early to know whether or not his vision will be realised. The tree is bare right now. It's just a question of how long until it takes to bud out.