Excuses are like a—holes, everybody’s got one. Still, NHL teams make excuses and use tired tropes all the time, saying the right things in media conferences and post-game interviews, but often not backing up their words.
This season, the theme of trying to explain the struggles felt by many teams that were supposed to be contenders has become a real storyline. These ‘tag lines’, for lack of a better phrase, have become a potential crutch, and if clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, and Buffalo Sabres don’t start putting their words into action, the season could get away from them.
It’s becoming clear that Mitch Marner was not the issue in Toronto. Deciding to move on from the forward — who is now crushing it in Vegas — was just another example of how a Maple Leafs team with no identity is running out of places to point fingers.
Speaking to the media this week, general manager Brad Treliving said that he takes “full responsibility” for what’s gone wrong this season. He also noted, “Craig didn’t become a bad coach overnight.”
So if it’s not the players and it’s not the coach, why does Treliving still have a job? For the most part, this team is the one he built. He brought in Dakota Joshua, Matias Maccelli, Scott Laughton, Brandon Carlo, Nicholas Roy, Chris Tanev, and a host of other players.
He knew which players he did have. William Nylander remains a dynamic forward who makes you scratch your head. Auston Matthews is injury-prone, and his leadership is questionable.