It’s been 372 days since Mitch Marner took his talents to Sin City, and the Toronto Maple Leafs still haven’t come close to replacing him on the top line. We’ll see what happens, but if the Leafs are intent on force-feeding Jack Roslovic on the top line, this team is going to run into some issues.

Simply put, there’s a reason teams keep passing on Roslovic. He’s a good player, but if the Leafs are banking on him spending all 84 games on Auston Matthews’ wing, they’re way off.

Ultimately, the solution isn’t currently on the Maple Leafs’ roster. In the short term, I’d give serious consideration to Patrick Kane. Even at 37, he still checks a lot of boxes. He’s got elite hands, is an underrated passer, and has spent his entire career proving he can excel in that role. That’s why he’ll one day be a first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famer.

On top of all that, Kane shares the same agent (Pat Brisson) as newcomer Gavin McKenna, who listed Kane as one of his all-time idols after getting drafted. Who better to mentor McKenna than the player he grew up idolizing? Furthermore, from an “appease Auston Matthews” standpoint, bringing in Patrick Kane certainly wouldn’t hurt either.

Any way you slice it, there’s an element of risk attached to most of what the Leafs have done this offseason. If they’re truly as “all in” as they insist they are, what’s one more gamble in the grand scheme of things? All it would cost is cap space.

If Kane’s not the answer, the Leafs need to find someone who is. Last season’s roster was flawed from the start. They tried force-feeding Max Domi onto the top line. That didn’t work. The same went for the other 38 line combinations Craig Berube rolled out over the course of the season. It became abundantly clear that Toronto didn’t have the winger depth to withstand losing Marner. In many ways, the season was effectively toast the moment Matias Maccelli skated onto that top line on opening night.

And that’s why it shouldn’t come as a shock to hear Elliotte Friedman say the Leafs are still looking to add a “difference-maker.” There’s been plenty of organizational turnover, but those who remain must stay persistent in addressing the massive hole left behind by Marner’s departure. Not for anything, but one of the biggest keys to the Leafs finding success in 2026-27 is getting the captain back to the player he was a few years ago. That starts with surrounding him with the most talented players possible.

Jack Roslovic is not the answer.