The Toronto Maple Leafs look like they're running it back again with the core four that has gotten them nowhere. Trade rumors swirled around Mitch Marner and John Tavares this offseason, but nothing materialized. Marner, Tavares, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander will now try to break the curse for the seventh straight season. It hasn't gone well for the “core four,” as they've failed to advance past the second round of the playoffs. Will they finally get over the hump this season? The Leafs may have too many roster concerns to make it happen.
Toronto had a successful regular season in 2023-24, falling into their usual third spot in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs struggled to finish above the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning for years. Now, they have to try to outperform the Bruins and Florida Panthers. It's a tough spot for the Leafs, as they barely get a chance at a Game 7 at home in the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs played five Game 7s in the first round since the Auston Matthews era began. They are 0-5, losing three to the Bruins and two at home to the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. It's the same heartbreak for Leafs' fans every season, except for the one time in 2023 when they advanced past the Bolts.
Watching the Leafs every season has to be one of the most frustrating things in sports. The team is loaded with talent, some generational, but they cannot get past the hurdle of the playoffs. Let's examine what can go wrong to send them home early this season.
Can Joseph Woll give Toronto a complete season?
Joseph Woll's performance in the 2024 postseason showed why the Maple Leafs believe he can be their starter. Former head coach Sheldon Keefe stuck with Ilya Samsonov for the first four games of their series, and it almost buried the team early. However, Woll led the team back in Games 5 and 6 to force a Game 7 in Boston.
The Maple Leafs and their fans thought it would finally be their year. Matthews and Nylander looked relatively healthy after missing time early in the series. Woll frustrated the Bruins' top scorers and looked confident despite the tall task of winning a Game 7 in Boston. It was all about to come to fruition for the Maple Leafs.
In classic Leafs fashion, Woll stretched to make a save with 0.1 seconds left in a meaningless 2-0 Game 6. The Bruins scored on the opportunity, which likely only mattered for any bettors who had the Maple Leafs to win the game by two or more goals. It certainly didn't change that Toronto was on the precipice of an improbable 3-1 comeback.
However, the cameras didn't catch Woll's grimace when he stretched to make the save. Rumors emerged on social media leading up to Game 7 that Woll wasn't healthy and the Maple Leafs would return to Samsonov. The pre-game warmup confirmed it, as Samsonov led the team out for the deciding matchup.
The injury represents a deeper issue than losing Game 7. Samsonov is now a Vegas Golden Knight, and the Maple Leafs will rely on Woll to become their starting goaltender. Woll has some of the worst injury luck in the league for a starting goaltender, but Toronto thinks he can play a complete season for them.
We hope Joseph Woll can stay healthy, but the risk is significant.
The Leafs are running it back
The Maple Leafs struggled last season for a couple of reasons. They went into the season with a combination of Samsonov and Matt Murray between the pipes. The pair represents an oft-injured goalie and an unproven starter. They had some aging defenders on the blue line, including Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie, who excelled in Calgary under Brad Treliving but were past their prime. They also signed a former buyout defender, John Klingberg, who was one of the top blueliners in the league for some time but had fallen off.
The Maple Leafs knew they needed a refresh, so they made some critical moves this offseason. They signed Anthony Stolarz to platoon with Woll, a valuable backup in Florida, but he hasn't proven he can play many games in a single season. They also signed Chris Tanev, who Treliving had in Calgary but is now 34 and exiting his prime. The Maple Leafs also made an intriguing move to sign Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who has been bought out by two teams but had a mini-resurgence in Florida last season.
Do these moves sound familiar? It looks like they've brought back the same identity next season with fresh names. The move would make sense if the Maple Leafs had shown any prior success. However, it's hard to support Treliving if this year's Maple Leafs roster heads into the postseason with the same concerns as 2023-24.
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