Debating “Leafs should run it back” vs. “It’s time for a change”

I believe in running it back. The core is good. They fell short again but they’re good. There’s a lot of moving parts in expired contracts up front, so you can make some improvements on the margins that way, or at least get the team back to the same level it was this year. I think it’s a failure for the year to end in a series loss again, but there’s lessons to be learned and positives to take from that failure. That is a different feeling from years past.

I am on the fence about this one. It makes total sense to give this core another chance because they put up a valiant effort against a team that is in the midst of a dynasty. But at the same time, there were ample chances for the Leafs to exorcise their playoff demons and they came up short yet again. Six straight years of bowing out in the first round and five straight years of losing in the winner-take-all game is inexcusable and something will need to give at some point. All I can say is Kyle Dubas needs to ensure he makes the right decisions this summer (as in get a new top six winger, shore up the blue line, and figure out the goaltending situation) because it otherwise means big changes are coming if 2022-23 is yet another year of coming up short.

I don’t believe the Maple Leafs need to do anything big. There’ll likely be a few small changes to some of the lines, but I believe running it back with the team they have now is the smartest move. If there’s a trade that they can make that makes their team better, by maybe moving out a contract like Jake Muzzin’s, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. The defence is going to need a shakeup anyways with Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren needing a full-time role with the team. When it comes to any other players, I believe Toronto should stay put.

My opinion falls somewhat in the middle. I believe in the core 4, but I think a somewhat bigger contract like Muzzin, a boat anchor like Mrazek and some mid-range salary contracts like Holl and Kerfoot need to be shipped out to  clear the space necessary to re-forge the team structured around the core group. Essentially, where I fall on this is run it back with some big changes around the fringes.

I don’t think you have to make major changes to a team that just put up 115 points with the 29th-best 5v5 goaltending in the league, which is a herculean feat. I do, however, think there needs to be a little more than just tinkering at the edges of the roster, to open up flexibility to address our weaknesses.