Three years ago, Toronto was still built around Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares. Today, only Matthews and Nylander remain in anything close to the same long-term role.
As we approach the 2026-27 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they have made a myriad of changes to the lineup, coaching staff, and front office. Long-time staples like Joseph Woll were traded away, meanwhile newcomers like Sergei Bobrovsky and Gavin McKenna are ushering in a new era.
But it's a series of moves that were necessary to bring the Maple Leafs back to competitiveness after a last-place finish in 2025-26, though they do essentially create a completely unrecognizable group compared to the one that took the ice only three years ago.
Toronto built everything around the Core Four, and only two still carry that era
In the summer of 2023, the Toronto Maple Leafs had just signed Auston Matthews to a four-year extension, William Nylander was set to cash in on his production, Mitch Marner was still a key part of the equation - all being led by a veteran captain in John Tavares.
They put a lot of money, time and effort into building the team around those four players, and while there were glimpses of success, they never broke through to the other side and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
After two more years of failure, Mitch Marner had enough and wanted out of Toronto - leaving in a sign-and-trade with Vegas last summer.
The team also entrusts Matthews to lead the team over Tavares, which was something that fans initially had some issues with when it was announced. Nylander is pretty much the only person whose role and situation hasn't changed much - he's still the offensive force he always has been, and grown into a consistent and reliable winger they can trust.
Matthews and Nylander are now the bridge between Toronto's old core and the next one
Thankfully they have Nylander doing what he does, and Matthews still a dangerous threat despite having two straight seasons marred with injuries. But they are really the ones who are still leading that vision of the original Core Four.
There's pressure on Matthews and Nylander to keep that original plan intact, however with only a couple years left until Matthews potentially hits free agency - there's not too much time.
At the same time, Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna are starting to form the next layer of Toronto's identity. That makes Matthews and Nylander less the centre of a permanent Core Four and more the veterans bridging one era into another.
Tavares, while still putting up fantastic production at his age, is going to eventually need to take less responsibility as he gets older.
He's not the captain of the team anymore, though he still pretty much plays that role on and off the ice, so his presence is going to be crucial for bridging that gap for the next generation of players.
Toronto never formally tore down the Core Four. It simply evolved around it. Three years later, Matthews and Nylander are the only pieces still carrying that original era, while McKenna, Knies and Cowan are beginning to define what comes next.
Do you think the Core Four was a good idea just poorly executed?
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