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If you want an indicator of how frustrated and displeased fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs are with the state of their club, look no further than the piece from The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn ranking public and fan base confidence of the 32 NHL clubs.
Each team is ranked on roster building, cap management, drafting and development, trading, free agency and vision, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the most valuable team in the league with nearly unlimited resources are ranked 30th.
The fact that the Leafs have made it past the first round only once in the last eight seasons is an overwhelming factor in their poor ranking, but even more impactful is the club’s lack of willingness to shake up their roster in the face of overwhelming evidence that the current group cannot win as currently constructed.
While most of the blame for this would still be put on former GM Kyle Dubas for his squandering of draft capital, current boss Brad Treliving in over a year has essentially reshuffled the deck chairs on the Titanic. Making a bold move would change the ship's course away from the iceberg.
While not specifically referred to in their evaluation, the Mitch Marner situation that is currently unresolved is something that could dramatically change the opinions of some. At this point, the situation is similar to last summer’s standoff with pending UFA William Nylander, where a deal is still possible, but becomes less likely once the season starts. The difference between the two scenarios is subtle but distinct. Treliving in regards to Nylander extoled the wingers talents and said publicly that he wanted to get an extension done.
With Marner, Treliving has said the winger is a superstar, but not once has he said that he wants to get a new deal done. If you put a betting line on what happens, the longest odds are a contract extension (because he will want more than the $11.5 million AAV that Nylander makes), the chances of a trade slightly better, but the best bet is Marner playing out the year and walking next summer.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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