Toronto Maple Leafs' Biggest Problem in the Core Four Era Has Finally Been Exposed
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto's Core Four was unsuccessful for years and with it coming to an end, what was the main cause for the group's failures during their time together?
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, the Maple Leafs are going to be in a bit of a transition period without Mitch Marner, and puts an end to the original Core Four that also included Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander.
It was a group that was expected to lead the team to glory, but consistently fell short, and never made it past the second round due to a combination of a lack of production and some bad luck.
Why the Core Four Era Fell Short in Toronto
But for as good as they were in the regular season, they fell short in the postseason time and time again with the main negative talking point being their lack of production when it comes to important games.
Sure, the group can dominate when it comes to Games 1-4 in the playoffs for sure, but when their backs are against the wall, it's very rare do we see the team able to claw themselves out of a tough situation.
How is it possible? Well, it's definitely something to do with the pressure to succeed in Toronto, and the constant scrutinization for their shortcomings will never make them feel any better.
But if you look at their production, they deserve it:
2025 Game 7: 0 Points Combined
2024 Game 7: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
2023 Game 5: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
2022 Game 7: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
2021 Game 7: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
2024 Game 7: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
2023 Game 5: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
2022 Game 7: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
2021 Game 7: 2 Points Combined (1 goal, 1 assist)
Eight points between four superstars, with William Nylander being the best of the bunch. That's pretty awful, and if you don't show up when it matters, then who cares how well you do up until that point?
What the Maple Leafs Must Learn Heading Into a New Chapter
Going into this new Marner-less chapter, with Matthew Knies the new fourth man, it's going to be a lot more physical and gritty when it comes to how the team plays.
They've gotta learn to work as a unit and make sure that their reliance on the stars is a thing of the past. You've gotta get Max Domi back to form, Nick Robertson needs to prove himself, and the team needs several Max Pacioretty-esque performances from their depth forwards.
It's about working together, finding new ways to win, and grinding out tough wins. To learn how to live without Marner is to live with the fact that while the team might not score as much; they may not need to.
Why Maple Leafs Fans Still Believe Despite the Doubts
Besides being gluttons for punishment, Maple Leafs fans (myself included) understand just how close this team has been, and the days of past glory still linger in the minds.
We want Matthews to be the Sundin of the team and lead them to the Conference Finals; but he has to produce like him.
Knowing the NHL has shifted their mentality towards flashier, more exotic teams like Florida and Vegas, diehard fans are seeing the NHL try and seemingly stack the deck against them.
Which means us fans don't give up hope because we also love a good underdog story, which is hard to imagine given their regular season successes.
It's been 58 years since the Maple Leafs last lifted Lord Stanley's Cup, and though they've come up short, they're always in the fight.
Perhaps going star for star with the rest of the league wasn't the recipe for success, but it might be a case of the sum being greater than its parts.
Now that's something to look forward to.
| POLL | ||
2 HOURS AGO | 100 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs' Biggest Problem in the Core Four Era Has Finally Been Exposed Who was the weak link of the Core Four? | ||
TRENDING NOW
