Trying to make sense of the Leafs' season so far

A bit of a shorter post today but I’ll get back to it earlier in the day tomorrow.

As I write this, the Maple Leafs are getting ready for a 7pm tilt against the Chicago Blackhawks in Toronto.

The first season without Mitch Marner (no more Core-Four talk, thankfully) so far has been a roller-coaster ride in Hogtown. Add to that the oftentimes excessive importance media in this city places on it’s NHL franchise and the results can be a lot to take.

Reminds self to one day do a deep-dive into how and why the Leafs get so much attention seemingly year-round. How and why did it start? More importantly, check if someone else has already done this…

Going into the game against Connor Bedard and former Leaf Tyler Bertuzzi, Toronto needs to find their consistency again. Both teams are currently outside of the playoff picture and patience might be starting to run thin among Chicago fans.

Also, Tyler Bertuzzi seems to be the kind of player that might benefit the Leafs right now. Not saying a trade should be made (with what assets?), but there’s a bigger conversation to be had about the Leafs’ front office and asset management during the “Auston Matthews Era”. I hate calling it that but that also might will be a separate deep-dive for the future.

The last two losses to San Jose and Edmonton were especially deflating as the Leafs played great … for the first 40 minutes.

It’s the final frame where the Leafs have oftentimes faltered. A team with this much offensive talent - even without Mitch Marner - should not be struggling the way it is. Of course, injuries in goal and on the blue line haven’t helped. But even when this team was as close to full strength as it’s been this season, the issues have been noticeable.

De facto #1 goalie Anthony Stolarz wasn’t playing up to the level everyone (even the Florida Panthers) saw last season. But hopefully he uses this time away from the ice to reset and come back more like the goalie Leafs fans remember from last season.

The Leafs’ power play has also been a point of concern this season. Not having Marner to be the power play quarterback is no excuse. Again, there’s too much talent on this roster for the results to be what they are.

The first power play unit right now shows Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Morgan Rielly. Unit two ices Nicolas Roy, Max Domi, Bobby McMann, Easton Cowan, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Just to shake things up, why not try swapping Rielly for OEL? Or Tavares for Cowan? Or Domi for Knies? Something? The Leafs were able to score on the power play Saturday against Edmonton, with Matthews scoring his 13th goal of the season. But power play goals have been a rarity this season for a team whose power play in 2024-25 was feared around the league.

The Leafs’ man-advantage finished last season 9th in the NHL last season and currently sits at checks NHL.com 30th in the league.

There are obviously other factors involved, like referees oftentimes letting teams get away with stuff (which cuts both ways, definitely), but that stark of a drop-off is alarming, to say to least.

Mini-rant over. Hopefully the Leafs can get at least a couple of power play goals tonight to begin the bounce-back that they (and their fans like me) desperately need.

Enjoy the game!