What needs to change for the Toronto Maple Leafs before this season slips away

The Toronto Maple Leafs made clear after last season that going into this season their identity would be different. So far, things have been different, yet far from better.

The Leafs sit 8-9-2 in their first 19 games, seventh in the Atlantic and currently out of a playoff spot. In an offseason meant to bring a winning culture, Toronto hasn't seen that come just yet.

Already, the Leafs have had some changes to their look this season, including the emergence of Nick Robertson in their top-six, the loss of Joseph Woll, the acquisition and departure of Cayden Primeau, and now an injury to Anthony Stolarz.

Injuries to Auston Matthews and Chris Tanev have only made the Leafs struggles look worse, and perhaps worse than they are, making a team struggling to succeed dealt even tougher circumstances to further their misfortune.

While there's still time, and before any risky decisions are made, clear changes have to come in the Leafs roster to prove they can overcome their slow start and put themselves back on track, but it doesn't start with a trade. It instead starts with the current team getting things back on track within themselves first.

The Toronto Maple Leafs lead the NHL in goals allowed with 72, with the St. Louis Blues behind in second with 69. It's not a big gap, but one that the Leafs realistically should not be in.

Toronto is doing all it can on offense to outscore the goals they're giving up, but they're struggling to match their efforts, and even catching up in games can't allow for Toronto to constantly be in high-scoring matchups all the time, despite the outcome.

Toronto acquired defenseman Troy Stecher off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, but he's only a stopgap for the Leafs and not part of the solution overall.

The Toronto Maple Leafs don't want to trade their top prospects or any of their few remaining picks of value, but if the Leafs defense doesn't manage to find itself and improve structurally, Toronto may have no choice but to listen for what an Easton Cowan or Ben Danford gets them on the trade market.

Elliotte Friedman reported on the most recent Saturday Headlines that if the team had not claimed Stecher off waivers, they would have brought up Henry Thrun from the Marlies instead, giving the 24-year-old his first appearance as a Leaf after suiting up in 60 games last season with San Jose.

As outlined in a previous article earlier this week, sources indicated to Hockey Patrol that the Leafs weren't strongly considering the possibility of calling up defensive prospect William Villeneuve, who hasn't had much favor despite promising AHL games.

Neither Thrun nor Villeneuve would solve for the Leafs a major boost to their defense, which leaves the team's current options to play a smarter and more concise game.

One issue for the Leafs is that injuries and absences have burned them so much to the point that it's a bit difficult to truly assess the Leafs issues while understanding the problem of Toronto rarely being at full health.

As it stands, Toronto is without Auston Matthews, Chris Tanev, & Anthony Stolarz, three big absences on the roster all at the same time.

Without their captain and No. 1 center, their best defensive defenseman, and their starting netminder, and having been without for large portions of time Woll, as well as Scott Laughton, it's tough to say how much of the Leafs struggles are them playing bad vs a volatile roster situation.

If Toronto's ability to stay health becomes an issue any further, they may be forced to add, but the Leafs may be wanting to wait to finally have the team at full strength before any sudden rush to judgement, even if it means being a little patient for just a bit longer.

The problem for the Leafs is, having paid so much in the past to get the team they already have, including two future first round picks, there may be very little of value Toronto has left to give, and if this core is coming to an end, it's a dark path for the Leafs to head into.

The lack of future options is the one reason why the Leafs, at least for now, need to stay on path, because unless the goal becomes trading one of their key players to add some youth talent back to the roster, Toronto is stuck with the win-now mentality they've built, and have put too much into to back away now.

The Leafs, who promised a culture change that was meant to bring a winning lineup, are becoming concerningly close to the bottom of the standings, and if they make a move now, they could be a team that played it smart and quickly patched up a necessary hole, or if they struggle further became a panic buy that long-term hurts their future more.

There's not really a good answer. Toronto needs to improve, and a trade may be the way to do so at this point, but there's little value the Leafs have to offer, and even so may be panicking for a team that has been plagued with bad luck.

At the very least, for now, change needs to come from within, otherwise Toronto will have no choice but to make roster moves, and if Toronto can't mortgage their future further, it may leave a real roster decision that shakes the Leafs identity back into focus.

The Toronto Maple Leafs can't just make a trade and expect results to come, players need to buy into the system and it starts with the current roster being able to do so first.

Head coach Craig Berube held a team meeting that hammered home the issues with the Leafs, and the message is clear that things aren't good enough, of course, the players know that. They're on the ice, they can see it.

Ultimately, the change in identity may come down to Berube himself to figure out what needs to be the difference for Toronto to pull itself up and back into contention, and if he doesn't, that culture change may be Berube's exit.

Defense is the one area the team needs to hit their marks on. With Chris Tanev out, a big chunk of the Leafs defensive game is impacted, and the rest of the team needs to step up.

A big part of keeping pucks out of the net, Toronto will be burned even harder without Tanev's defensive reliability, leading to the Leafs biggest need right now being the defense being more aggressive and physical, but also being smarter in their own end.

Even more necessary is closing down chances before they're able to get into scoring opportunities, including a more pressing defense against zone entries, and gaining pucks off turnovers and being able to build transition chances the other way.

The Leafs are getting more from their bottom-six in scoring than last season, but still need them to be more challenging at both ends, especially at centre ice.

With Joseph Woll back, it's a little too soon to say what needs to change in net, especially with Stolarz out, but with Stolarz not playing his best hockey without Woll as his backup, the hope for Toronto is that more balance between the two netminders in playing time proves beneficial.

The Toronto Maple Leafs need to be able to build a roster that, if the team decides to make a trade, that they're bringing in a player that sees a system that works, and is someone that can provide support for the team working together, not just filling in what's missing in the lineup.

Before the Leafs go rushing to make a trade and consider their futures, they must figure out where their identity lies, and what it's going to take to get the team to buy into this new look the Leafs have spent too much to go back on.