So, I guess according to a recent Athletic poll, there’s a lot of Leafs fans who aren’t buying what Brad Treliving and more specifically Brendan Shanahan are currently selling.

In terms of front office fan confidence, the Toronto Maple Leafs placed 30 of 32 in the NHL and were slapped with a less than appetizing ‘D’ grade score.

In fact, it appears only fans of the Los Angeles Kings and the New York Islanders – the only two teams to finish below Toronto in the Athletic’s poll – are more disgruntled than Leafs fans right now.

Got it.

Simply put, for me at least, that poll lost all its credibility when I saw the Maple Leafs positioned where they were. Full stop.

Most impressively, somehow some way, even Kyle Dubas’ Pittsburgh Penguins, who are undoubtedly destined for an indefinite period of mediocrity, were positioned ahead of the Maple Leafs (29^th). Wild stuff.

But seriously, to suggest that fanbases in Ottawa, Seattle, Anaheim, San Jose, and Chicago, among plenty other places, are feeling more confident in their front office than in Toronto is downright ridiculous. It really is.

I didn’t even mention Buffalo, either. Yeah, they were ahead of the Leafs, too. Not to throw shade at that passionate fan base, but the last time they made the postseason, Jay Rosehill was still playing in the NHL.

Clearly, there’s a lot of fans in this market that are still pissed off over Kyle Dubas’ departure.

Get. Over. It.

That’s the only way to explain what went down in that poll.

At any rate, I’m here to alert everyone that everything’s going to be okay. Contrary to the Athletic’s findings, the sky’s not falling. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander are still firmly in the mix, and Craig Berube, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019, is now in charge. On top of that, the crease is in good standing, and so is the blue line. Without question, Anthony Stolarz, Chris Tanev, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson will make a substantial difference.

Furthermore, a strong argument can be made that even with some of the depth issues up front, this is as balanced a Maple Leafs roster as we’ve seen in the past decade. Considering what Brad Treliving inherited, he’s done a very adequate job thus far building the squad to his liking.

Apparently, I’m talking to the wrong people. Everyone I converse with feels really good about this team entering the 2024-25 campaign.