{"id":547587,"date":"2026-04-08T15:30:41","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:30:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/547587\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T15:30:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:30:41","slug":"why-the-maple-leafs-reset-might-just-work-the-hockey-writers-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/547587\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Maple Leafs Reset Might Just Work – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know, right now, the talk around the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> is pretty grim. Everyone\u2019s saying the same thing: a long rebuild ahead, years of pain, maybe even a total teardown. And I get it \u2014 it was a lost season without playoffs. In addition, looking back at losing players like Fraser Minten, Bobby McMann, and a bunch of other promising youngsters under Brad Treliving\u2019s watch really stings.<\/p>\n

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Stecher, Cowan, Hundley, Buhr & Muzzin<\/a><\/p>\n

The Maple Leafs have been making the playoffs regularly, even if they didn\u2019t go far. About the trades, from the organization\u2019s current reflective position, those were the kinds of youngsters who were supposed to grow into the next wave. When you ship out that kind of young talent, and the results don\u2019t follow, it\u2019s easy to feel like the franchise is sliding into a deep hole with no quick way out.<\/p>\n

An Optimistic Look at the Maple Leafs Predicament <\/p>\n

I tend to err on the side of optimism, and this might be the latest example. But here\u2019s the thing I keep coming back to, and I know this is an optimistic view of the situation. Is there a chance that fans and hockey writers are too dire in their predictions? <\/p>\n

\"TorontoToronto Maple Leafs goaltenders Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz could play lights out next season.
(James Guillory-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

What if everyone\u2019s underestimating the Maple Leafs roster, and the season was more bad luck and bad management than weakness? Maybe the Maple Leafs don\u2019t need a massive, multi-year overhaul to start winning again \u2014 they could turn things around much sooner than people expect.<\/p>\n

One Reason the Maple Leafs Might Turn It Around Quickly<\/p>\n

The biggest reason the Maple Leafs could turn this on a dime is their solid goaltending. They did last season, and if Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz both return to form<\/a>, a strong season isn\u2019t out of the realm of possibility. Obviously, their defence can\u2019t be a sieve again. But if they can stop the pressure, the goalies could come through.<\/p>\n

Related: Simplistic Thinking Won\u2019t Fix the Maple Leafs \u2014 Here\u2019s What Might<\/a><\/p>\n

They also need to get some shots on the opposition\u2019s net. Right now, Toronto isn\u2019t generating nearly enough sustained pressure in the offensive zone. They\u2019re not flooding the other team\u2019s end with shots or forcing defenders to chase the puck the way their best teams did. That could simply be a coaching thing, because this season\u2019s Maple Leafs have been outshot in almost every game I can remember.<\/p>\n

Always Playing in Your Own Defensive End Puts Too Much Pressure on the Goalies<\/p>\n

Constantly defending your own zone puts an awful lot of extra work on the goalies. But here\u2019s the hope: they already have two good, solid netminders. If those goalies can get back to the form they showed last season \u2014 calm, confident, stealing games when they need to \u2014 and if the team in front of them starts playing a little smarter in its own end and spends more time attacking, the whole picture changes fast.<\/p>\n

\"JosephMay 14, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) makes a save against Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand (63) during the second period of game five of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Think about it. A stronger defensive structure in front of the net means fewer odd-man rushes and fewer high-danger chances against. More time in the offensive zone means more shots, more tired opposing defencemen, and more opportunities for the skilled forwards they still have. <\/p>\n

Related: Maple Leafs Being Questioned Over \u2018Sketchy\u2019 Search Firm Hiring<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not rocket science \u2014 it\u2019s hockey 101. When your goalies aren\u2019t seeing rubber all night long, they can actually steal you some wins instead of just trying to survive.<\/p>\n

And, If the Injured Players Come Back Strong<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where the bounce-back players come in. If Auston Matthews gets healthy<\/a> and returns to anything close to his old self, if Matias Maccelli<\/a> stays and finds his playmaking touch, and if guys like Dakota Joshua<\/a> bring back that gritty, forechecking energy they showed in past seasons, the Maple Leafs suddenly look a lot more dangerous. <\/p>\n

\"TorontoWill the Toronto Maple Leafs re-sign Matias Maccelli next season?
(David Kirouac-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t need a total roster makeover. They need the pieces they already have to play the way we know they can. <\/p>\n

Look at what happened in Buffalo with the Sabres this season. They changed the general manager, made a few smart tweaks, and suddenly the team started climbing out of its own long funk more quickly than anyone predicted. It wasn\u2019t magic \u2014 it was better structure, better buy-in, and a little bit of health. Toronto could follow a similar path.<\/p>\n

Obviously, There\u2019s No Guarantee of a Bounceback<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019m not saying any of this optimism is guaranteed. Nothing in this league ever is. But the team could certainly bounce back.<\/p>\n

But the Maple Leafs have more talent in the room than most rebuilding teams ever dream of. If they tighten things up defensively, spend more time in the other team\u2019s end, and let their goalies be the difference-makers they were last season, this \u201clong crawl out of the hole\u201d could turn into a much shorter walk than anyone expects.<\/p>\n

Related: 9 Cool Things About Dave Semenko: Edmonton Oilers\u2019 Enforcer<\/a><\/p>\n

The coldest time of the night is just before the sun starts to peek through. This is as down a season as any of the nine in which I\u2019ve covered the Maple Leafs. But I\u2019ve also seen enough seasons to know it doesn\u2019t always take forever to turn things around. Look at the Boston Bruins.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it just takes making some smart moves, believing the guys you already have can do the job, and a bit of puck luck. Hockey can be a funny game that way. <\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You know, right now, the talk around the Toronto Maple Leafs is pretty grim. Everyone\u2019s saying the same…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":547588,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[54,532,5,3821,20,5172,4,66,31,5171],"class_list":{"0":"post-547587","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-maple-leafs","8":"tag-anthony-stolarz","9":"tag-auston-matthews","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-joseph-woll","12":"tag-maple-leafs","13":"tag-mapleleafs","14":"tag-nhl","15":"tag-toronto","16":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","17":"tag-torontomapleleafs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116369810981459502","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}