TORONTO (May 19) — Forget about Mitch Marner and John Tavares becoming free agents. Forget about the new coach bringing structure to the Maple Leafs until any such control was beyond him. Forget about the apparently elite goaltender who couldn’t finish the playoffs while nursing a concussion. Forget about whichever person occupies the president’s chair next season, assuming Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment does not offer Brendan Shanahan a new contract. Forget about everything Leafs other than the central figure around which all else revolves. If Auston Matthews returns for a tenth season in blue and white, the team cannot change. The culture cannot change. Most importantly, playoff results can never change with No. 34 as face of the hockey club.
The biggest blunder in modern franchise history is all the rage once more, as anyone willing to open their eyes can attest. Signing Matthews to a four–year extension at the highest salary in the National Hockey League — then demeaning John Tavares by transfering the captaincy to Auston — has imploded on MLSE. Again, rather predictably. There is zero evidence that the top draft selection in 2016 can ferry the Leafs beyond regular–season brilliance. Nothing… zilch… bupkis… points to Matthews acquiring the capacity of a leader. Never has. Because it cannot be acquired. Any more than a player can be taught to score goals. You are born with these skills, or permanently devoid of them. It is incomprehensible that such veteran hockey people as Shanahan, Brad Treliving and Craig Berube actually felt that stitching a letter on clothing could alter a person’s DNA. We know that a large part of the decision surrounded merchandizing and the sale of No. 34 jerseys with the ‘C’. But, there had to be more to it. Someone in the ivory tower clearly believed that obtaining the captaincy would inspire Matthews beyond his inherent ceiling. Just as Brian Burke contended such a move would pay dividends for Dion Phaneuf — acquired from Calgary and foisted upon the Leafs as their emotional earmark. It was an unmitigated disaster.
But, the Phaneuf episode is ancient history. Matthews is riveted to the club for three more years. As with Marner, he’s in full control of his contract and tenure with the Leafs. Management long ago assigned governance of the team to its spineless “leaders”. Nothing about the club can be fundamentally modified with Matthews at its nucleus. Yet, there is no option available to management without the player’s consent. Though it will not happen if Shanahan is retained, the crux of the entire NHL off–season for the Leafs should be to gracefully sever the commitment to Matthews. There’s no way the team can look good by keeping him… or encouraging a trade proposal. Both will reflect poorly on ownership and management so soon after tethering the franchise wagon to Matthews.
Yet, it’s high time for the lesser of two evils. The Leafs need to swallow their pride and hope that Matthews might also be desperate for a change of scenery. As he logically should be. Peddling his $13.25 million cap hit will serve as the ultimate challenge, but there are NHL rivals that would take a chance on a 69–goal scorer; even one with deep–seated playoff ineptitude. Sure the Maple Leafs would have to retain salary, but is there a viable alternative?
Certainly not from this corner.
Auston has no fire in his belly. Not even smoldering ashes.
Never has he shown genuine remorse, anger or or even self–awareness after a Stanley Cup faceplant. It’s always someone or something else’s fault. This year, it was “too many passengers” in Game 7… even with Matthews driving the bus into a ditch. As for the abortion of Game 5, there was no explanation. “It’s honestly hard to figure,” was his raging response. Auston will never pull a Nathan MacKinnon and erupt with fury and passion over playoff misadventure. Not without that DNA transplant. There’s always next year… after a summer of riches and relaxation. Yeah, it “sucks”. But, that feeling will disappear after a two–goal effort in October. When reporters, pundits and accolytes begin falling over themselves, yet again, to gush about how gifted a sniper he is.
As in each spring, we await the injury excuse when management gathers with reporters. It’ll be interesting to hear what TSN’s Chris Johnston has to say after he told viewers, without equivocation, that Matthews was “healthy as he’s been all season” prior to the Ottawa series. All we’ve heard since then are the usual Auston alibis.
What would the Leafs look like without Marner, Matthews and Tavares? Who knows after all this time. But, does it honestly matter, given a club that has cowered and withered in every decisive playoff circumstance? How much worse could the Maple Leafs fare in the Stanley Cup pursuit if Matthews were skating elsewhere? Should there exist even a scintilla of concern that Auston would one day rise up and become another Brad Marchand to the Leafs? Don’t make me laugh. Rest assured, also, that this line of consideration will never be embraced by media that follows the hockey club; certainly not from any of the talking heads at Rogers, as the Leafs will soon be 75% controlled by Ed the Conqueror. Any such dialogue would prompt a form of censure. Same, at the moment, for TSN, which retains (until this summer) its 37.5% interest in the club. No pundit would dare encourage the central theme of this blog. Most are emotionally fused to the Auston Matthews mystique… whatever the hell it is.
Who would you rather cheer for in the playoffs: Matthews or 40–year–old Corey Perry? It’s not even close.
As a fan of the Leafs, and for as much false hope is derived from regular–season glory, would you laud the club for staying the course with Matthews? You certainly shouldn’t. Not any longer. By now, you’ve got to be miles beyond hoping that Auston will morph into a Stanley Cup warrior. Nine years as a playoff ghost is a pretty fair sample–size, even if ignored by the cheerleading media.The severely delusional, as always here in Toronto, will form an exception. Look at Steve Yzerman. Look at Ovie, they’ll say. Anything to angle from the underlying issue.
As mentioned, the local and national media have sloppily conditioned Leaf zealots to believe in Matthews. With not a trace of epochal evidence. It’s been a terrible disservice to the most–tormented fans in the NHL. So, it’s incumbent upon the Leafs to enact the biggest change of all. Has been since the Montreal playoff fiasco of 2021.
I wrote the same blog then. And, my perspective has only deepened.
Does management have the stomach to reverse course, one year after pinning all hope on its October–to–April superstar? What choice is there, other than perpetuation of the gut–churning playoff remorse since 2017?
The Leafs and Matthews need a clean break. The sooner it can happen, the better for everyone involved.
EMAIL: HOWARDLBERGER@GMAIL.COM
Until they get GILMOUR-CLARK-TUCKER-ROBERTS type of players, the Leafs will be a great regular season team and continue to falter in the playoffs. 1992/93 Leafs team was the best I’ve seen, wish MLSE would look back and learn from that team.
Blame it on the players if you want to but the Leafs need new management. It’s management that has failed here. Look at the history of their transactions. Garbage! No one can win managing this way. A master class on how not to manage a pro hockey team or any pro sports team. Shanahan and Pridham have had long enough. Treliving’s
most recent deadline deals are enough to show him the door. Hayley Wickenheiser for Leafs next GM. Why not? She’s in the organization and is a smart successful person.
Change is needed and Wick is a winner.
A man THAT size playing THAT soft is going to secure you a cup? As captain, he was the goddamn no-show bus driver for his passengers! Leafs brass would never admit that you’re right. It’s high time the GQ twin gets the steel-toe boot. But they haven’t the gumption nor the nuts to force man-purse Matthews hand and send him packing on the first flight leaving YTZ.
Matthews stays with the Leafs.
That’s the bottom line. He’s their 1st round & they built this team around the Core 4. Obviously it did not work, it’s the Leafs that are at fault. Anybody, 2 of them are leaving via free agency. It’s now the core 2, Matthews & Nylander. Sign Knies is ? priority. Sign Tavares on a cheap 1 or 2 year contract because he wants to play & retire in Toronto.
Centers are very hard to come by.
And, Nick, you’re the reason the club can do absolutely nothing, every year, to improve its playoff chances. Additions aren’t needed. A big SUBTRACTION is. One day, when Auston is elsewhere, you’ll see the light.
Are you suggesting they get rid of both Matthews and Marner now?
I wrote that four years ago, after the Montreal debacle. Not playoff types. Take a step back, now, and rethink the plan. The current one is way out of date.
I agree Mathews not a leader for this group – but some USA team will want captain Amerika – if we would get a puck moving defencemen (Fox from New York) and a Chris Krieder would do it in a heart beat. Go get Branden Tanev, and Brock Nelson – meat and potato guys. Forget Boeser or Ehkers from Winnipeg – we had guys like that. Plus get rid of Kampf, Robinson, Holmberg, Jarnkrok – non character players. Plus offer Marchand a 1-2 year contract. Maybe then you get a playoff team.
It’s a dereliction of duty if Pelley brings Shanahan back because that means Marner will sign a bloated contract with Toronto. Marner loves it in TO because he’s coddled. It’s the same reason Guerrero signed with the Jays because he would never be held accountable. Both are darlings of the media and fans. I’m guessing next week we hear Shanahan has been extended. The core 4 (lol) will continue, I guess.
Marner’s gone. Worry about something else.
The hockey fans in Toronto, and quite a few hockey pundits from the varied media all suffer from one thing. They are so starved for a hero that they can’t see or think straight.
It sickens me to see Bourne and McKee from the Real Kyper show kiss Matthew’s ass while saying Marner and others have to go. Kyper meanwhile, who isn’t starved for a hero, having had some success in the past, gets that vein in his neck bulging and defends the rest of the team. He defends Marner.
Anyway, I love reading your column Howard. You’re usually bang on with your assessments. It’s obvious that you’re not one of the ones who are starved for that hero.
Kyper doesn’t. But, he has no chance against the other two virulent Leaf fans.
Both have to go
They should’ve let him walk 2 years ago…
I’m sure Shanahan will come out with the usual we will explore all options garbage that has meant doing almost nothing for 9 years now. Matthews got 1 goal in 7 playoff games 2017-2018, 1 in 7 2020-2021, 1 in 5 2023-2024 (last year). His lack of performance this playoff series is nothing unusual, injury or not. So, there is no excuse. What I know is that, with the cap of some of these core players, other core players can be acquired. It’s not like they leave and there’s this gaping hole. Everything to do with this team needs to be looked at as value. The cost vs the performance. Matthews’ main performance metric that he has enjoyed and capitalized on in the past is goals. In the playoffs, he fails at goals too much. He will be replaced by a player or more who get more playoff goals and that will be a net value win. Same goes for Marner. If the Leafs get one or more players with his freed up cap who contribute more in the playoffs then it’s a net value win. Too bad it took a few years after it was obvious this needed to be done! Let’s remember management tries everything to not admit they did wrong in the past, especially Dubas AND Shanahan.
Why would a sane person sign with the Leafs when there are far better options? Detroit is an up and coming team that needs a point producer. They have a history of winning and the fans aren’t insane,
From a tax perspective, the worst US team is better than the best Canadian team. From a working conditions/other variables scenario, no team in the NHL is worse than the Leafs.
Oh please. Toronto is the EASIEST place to play in the league as long as a player delivers a consistent, competent effort. Players like Lou Franschetti, Guy Larose, Brad Marsh, Tie Domi, Leo Komorov and on and on and on turned into folk heros here because they were at worst just competent and at best sincere and likeable.
It will be interesting to see what the new plan is when Shanahan is replaced. The Shanaplan was tanking for a few years, pick up elite players in the draft in a total rebuild managed by a qualified experienced GM with a proven record of success. Lou Lamoriello fit the GM bill. It was early in the plan which was on schedule when Shanahan decided to replace Lou and choose a new GM. Unfortunately for Leaf fans Shanny chose poorly. The assistant GM with years of experience playing and managing was Mark Hunter but Shanny chose Dubas who was just a kid with a dream. Leafs already had Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Hyman, Kadri, Kapanen so the offence was there but they had no defense. Instead of strengthening the weakest part of the team Dubas put them into cap hell signing Tavares, and then made it impossible to move players by giving out no move contracts. Friedman reported Leafs could have had Rantanen but Marner nixed the trade. It been all downhill since Dubas took over trading picks and prospects at the deadline with Treliving continuing with dealing moves which have all failed. Now the Leafs have no prospects and virtually no picks for the next three years. I’m a lifelong Leaf fan but I can’t help laughing. What will Treliving do next year at the deadline with no picks and no prospects to throw away.
In a media availability, Marner speaks about how grateful he is the Leafs took such a chance on a small guy who was rated lower in the draft. It’s not like Marner was willing to do them, the fans and/or city a favour back though. He could have agreed to the trade then possibly come back at UFA time for a reasonable contract!
If the 2016 NHL Entry Draft had to be done all over again, Matthew Tkachuk would go 1st Overall instead of Auston Matthews. Matthew Tkachuk or Jack Eichel should be Captain of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy instead of Matthews who was a No-Show at the Four Nations Face-Off in February. Auston Matthews production has peaked like many players in the NHL as the League is heading towards another Dead Puck Era in the next year or so with teams parking the bus by relying on blocking shots, the Left Wing Lock, and the Neutral Zone Trap as a way to win games.