The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t had a terrible summer, if you look at it optimistically.
However, considering Auston Matthews’ limited prime, the team’s summer additions seem like high-risk, medium-reward moves, making the offseason appear lackluster.
Did the team improve? They are essentially whatever Chris Tanev minus Tyler Bertuzzi gives you. This means they might be slightly better in games where Tanev plays, which hopefully will be all of them.
However, with two internal moves, the Leafs can completely change this narrative.
Toronto Maple Leafs Set to Sell Summer as Success With 2 Internal Moves
First, there’s the Mitch Marner situation.
This can only be resolved by re-signing him. If Marner wants a mega-contract, consider a short-term deal and ask him to earn it. Alternatively, show confidence in him with an eight-year extension, making it clear that the Leafs value him and recognize his special talent. Then, challenge Marner to outplay the noise surrounding him.
What the Leafs can’t do is let this situation linger. At the very least, they should publicly state they have no intention of trading him and that contract talks are ongoing.
A secondary addition to this move would be announcing that Marner will play center from now on. This would significantly reduce the need to trade for a forward and deepen their lineup. It’s a straightforward decision.
The second move is simpler.
Contact Nick Robertson’s agent and guarantee him a serious look for a top-six role under the new coach, who has no preconceived notions about him. Then, sign him to a one-year extension to demonstrate their commitment and announce plans to play him with Mitch Marner.
That’s essentially it. While the Leafs also need to move Kampf, Jarnkrok, and Reaves off the roster, there’s no immediate rush. The priority is to stabilize the team and put a positive spin on the summer moves, which won’t happen without resolving both the Marner and Robertson situations satisfactorily.
Having Matthews, Marner, and Tavares as the center trio would make the Leafs a much better team than they are today, and this can be achieved without any major roster changes.