The Real Reason Big Names Keep Leaving the Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
It's been an issue for a bit now, but with the Maple Leafs they seem to be unable to keep players regardless of how much they can throw at them. What's going on?
The Toronto Maple Leafs certainly have had their fair share of icons over the last few years, and the most recent Core Four is a perfect example. Four players who were destined to lead the team to greatness has now suddenly shifted dramatically.
Mitch Marner is gone and decided to seek less pressure elsewhere, and there are concerns that no matter what the team does, it's not going to lead to anything substantial.
But could it be that regardless of being the most profitable and well known franchise in the league, the Leafs have a loyalty problem?
If you look at players who stayed with the team through and through, the biggest name is John Tavares, who has time and time again proven that he is a Maple Leaf for life and bleeds blue and white for the team, and of course the stars wanna stick around.
Why Money Wasn't Enough to Keep Marner and O'Reilly in Toronto
Though look at names like Marner and Ryan O'Reilly. In the case of the former, the team had several chances to re-sign him and keep him in the fray with a lot of money; but their insistence on keeping Auston Matthews the highest paid player may have hurt them.
He decided enough was enough and left, and the team seemingly showed him a lack of respect when it came to important decisions; something money can't buy.
In the case of O'Reilly, he left due to what he perceived as a lack of winning direction in the locker room, and while he never singled out particular people; he certainly wasn't sticking around regardless of price.
So is the veteran O'Reilly onto something?
How the Maple Leafs' Lack of a Winning Blueprint Pushes Stars Away
It seems like over the years the direction of the Maple Leafs was buy high, sell high, and push all-in at a moment's notice. For fans, it's exciting yet exhausting to see their future mortgaged year after year for the chance at immediate glory.
It's been an issue for 20 years too, as the Leafs have traded away prospect after prospect, pick after pick, and star after star in order to bring in the right "fits" for the team, who often tend to fizzle out pretty quickly.
At that point, the media is hounding them, and it makes them want to stay here even less. It's not easy playing in Toronto, and it's hard to stay loyal to a team that has seemingly had one direction, but are spinning in place.
Their lack of production in the playoffs doesn't help them either, and the fact they have just thrown whatever at the wall in the hopes of sticking doesn't make people want to sign or hang around.
What Toronto Must Change to Convince Players to Stay Long-Term
So how can Toronto fix things?
Well, it's a pretty good start that Brad Treliving is given free reign to bring in who he wants, and is going to work extensively with head coach Craig Berube to bring in people who work with the system, and not trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
They can also temper expectations and be upfront with their fans.
If you come out and say "Look, we are still going to compete, we are still going hard but it's going to be a bit of a transition; don't give up on us" then the fans will have less expectations for the new names, allowing for an easier transition.
Plus they have to show free agents and potential targets that they have a real plan and aren't just relying on them alone to give them what they need.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and if they can say "You are part of the solution, not the only answer" then players might have an easier time adjusting to the pressure.
They can also start learning from their mistakes and not tossing every player that has potential in the hopes of finding a veteran piece. You're gonna need people to replace your current stars eventually; maybe trust them for the future?
Whatever the issues are that are keeping players from sticking around long-term and buying in to the Maple Leafs' plans need to be worked out soon; because they might not have much of a team left in a few years if they don't smarten up.
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