Another Maple Leafs playoff disappointment likely precedes big changes, but should it?

The Toronto Maple Leafs seemed different sometimes during their Playoffs in the Stanley 2025 Cup. However, the end result was the same as the Maple Leafs won the Scotiabank Arena ice after a 6-1 piece in the hands of Florida Panthers in match 7.

Ever since the Maple Leafs of the height they gave the Washington capture a good fight in 2017 Nhl Playoffs, the team has qualified for the post -season nine times in a row. During this period, Toronto has lost six 7s games, reached the second round twice and won a total of 31 games.

In context, the reigning champion Florida Panthers has won 37 games in the last three years.

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Due to the lack of success of Playoff and his contract situation, the Maple Leafs are almost certain that they will look very different when the puck falls on the opening night in 2025-26. Mitch Marner and John Tavares, two members of the team’s “Core Four”, are pending free agents.

In addition, Matthew Knies will become a restricted free agent, and the 22 -year -old won a significant rise with 29 goals and 29 assists last season.

Is it time to shake it?

It is easy to see the case to let Tavares and Marner walk. Toronto still has two more stars in his place with Auston Matthews and William Nylander at the top of the program, and Knies is entering this conversation, assuming that Toronto will sign him again this summer.

In theory, Maple Leafs could use this additional money to improve support distribution around Matthews, Nylander and Knies. The “Core Four” Plus Knies made a large majority of damage to Toronto in the post -season, and the team achieved anything from the rest of the list.

After returning it to run so many times and obtaining the same result, the maple leaves may be tempted to fly this nucleus and make changes to the list. Given the annual shots of the Plaza de la Fulla d’Auró and the jerseys of the ice in Toronto, the fans would probably be on board this plan.

But what about the case to keep the course and let this group have at least another bit of bites in the apple? This option may be more attractive than it looks like in the first blush.

The case to return it to run

To begin with, the “nuclei nuclei” plus their own players really good. Marner is a 100 -point player who can have great impacts on the three areas when he is at the best, and the 34 -year -old Tavares reaches a campaign of 38 goals and 74 points.

Players like this are difficult to find, and Maple Leafs would have difficulty replacing these two, especially in free agency. The class of free agents of 2025 leaves much to be desired outside Marner and Tavares.

Matt Duchene, Sam Bennett, Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser are some of the largest names that have reached the market this summer. They are all good players with different post -season resumes, but they cannot be counted to replace holes that leave Tavares and Marner, especially with the price that will probably accompany them.

This means that Toronto’s CEO, Brad Treliving, should be creative in the commercial market or in a restricted free agency. Unfortunately for him, there are also problems.

The Maple Leafs do not have a selection of the first round in none of the following three drafts, and only have two second round options in this period. Toronto would struggle to change a blockbuster trade that does not involve a current player and probably will not have the compensation for a great splash with a supply sheet to a restricted free agent.

Given these restrictions, it is not difficult to imagine the team a step back by 2025-26 if Marner and Tavares have played their last game in a Maple Leaf sweater.

The desire for change in Toronto is only natural, and probably even rational. The NHL is a results -oriented business and this main group has not obtained these results, especially not in the playoffs. But, how green is the grass without no. 16 and 91 on the line? It is probably not as green and lush as everyone else assumes.

Tavares may return at a reduced price and may also require Marner to sign less money than he could do in the open market, but Maple Leafs’s best short -term option could give this group a couple more features to overcome moisture.