It may come as a tall task for whoever takes the job, but the Toronto Maple Leafs will in fact need a new general manager with some serious ‘bite’ as Brendan Shanahan pointed out. The team’s future looks a little foggier than some would like and the further into the future you look when it comes to the Maple Leafs, the harder it is to answer the questions that need to be asked.
What will they do with the core four? Who’s going to be leading the team into their next playoff run? Who’s going to be in net when the puck drops on 2023-24? These are just some of the debilitating questions that are controlling the minds of Leafs Nation and they won’t be answered until the Maple Leafs put someone at the helm as their new GM.
Maple Leafs’ New GM Needs Conroy Mentality
But ‘bite’ shouldn’t be the only thing the next GM should have. In fact, if you watched the press conference from the newly appointed general manager of the Calgary Flames — Craig Conroy — he may have spoken the truest words that we’ve heard in a while. Not only was it refreshing to hear, but the truth is the Maple Leafs need a GM with the same mentality.
I want to make it a place people want to play. When I cam here, it only took me a couple weeks before I wanted to be a part of it. I want people who want to be part of the Flames and want to be here, not just someone coming here to get the money. That doesn’t interest me at all. I want them to come to be part of doing something special here. I talk to agents, and we’re on a lot of players’ no-trade lists. I want to make it where we’re not on the no-trade lists, and that’s by bringing a culture of winning and fun. Players talk, and if you build that here, they’ll come. That starts this year, moving forward.
source – Craig Conroy, Flames’ GM – ‘New GM Craig Conroy embraces chance to breathe new life into Flames’ – Eric Francis – 05/23/2023
That’s exactly what you want to hear from the Maple Leafs’ new GM whenever they are appointed. It’s that ‘Field of Dreams’ mentality of ‘if you build it, they will come.’
While the Maple Leafs have built that winning culture, during the regular season, the playoffs have been a struggle for the franchise for far too long. The fanbase is getting restless. The players are questioning the direction. The front office is in shambles. What’s the direction of this team?
Forward. Like Conroy stated in his introductory press conference, the only direction is forward and that’s how the Maple Leafs need to look at it as well. That comes with making sure that players are coming in with the right intentions and interest in being a part of the team, while creating that winning culture.
Core Four Has A Decision: Money or Legacy?
Recently, legendary goalie Martin Brodeur discussed how guys like himself, Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer took less money to stay in New Jersey and continue to be a perennial Stanley Cup contender.
It’s the same discussion that surrounded the core in Boston as the Bruins were at the top of the Eastern Conference on a year-to-year basis, including a Stanley Cup win in 2011. Guys like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara were taking less than their market value to remain with the team and build contenders.
Now, the discussion has surfaced with the Maple Leafs with the majority of their core up for renewal in the coming years and money being a factor under the hard cap. If there’s been one major issue for the Maple Leafs’ roster building over the past number of seasons — aside from the COVID cap cutback — it’s been the fact that the core players have eaten up a majority of the team’s overall cap. While it can be argued that that should be the case, the space used left very little wiggle room to bring in addition support that could’ve vaulted them into deeper playoff runs.
So, as was mentioned on a recent episode of Sticks in the 6ix podcast, the question that needs to be asked of the core players who will make their money regardless of if they take a cut on the team’s payroll is — are you more interested in building a legacy in Toronto with the Maple Leafs, a storied franchise, or collecting the biggest bag you can get on the free agent market? Only then will you have the answer to Conroy’s question of who really wants to be in their respective city.
Maple Leafs Stars Said All the Right Things
Following their second-round elimination at the hands of the Florida Panthers, a number of Maple Leafs’ players were saying all the right things in terms of settling the minds of Leafs Nation.
Auston Matthews discussed how he enjoyed being in Toronto. William Nylander said he doesn’t want to play for any other team and while some might see it as a given being a Toronto-area kid, Mitch Marner also showed faith in the future of the current group.
Saying all the right things, however, is far from what reality may end up being. The potential for a blockbuster deal is always on the table and with the uncertainty of what lies ahead for this team all options will be considered heading into the heart of the offseason.
Still, that Conroy mentality needs to remain within the Maple Leafs front office when they do find their next GM. Although they have arguably three incredibly talented players that drive their offence during the regular season, success is based off of both regular season and playoff success and the team hasn’t been able to get it done.
Related: Matthews Message to Insider Adds to Maple Leafs Offseason Issues
If the money becomes the sticking point in negotiations, that’s where a GM with ‘bite’ will come in handy. That’s where the tough decisions will have to be made. While it would be a complete disaster from a fanbase standpoint, that’s where the new GM — whoever it may be — might have to consider walking away from one of the Maple Leafs’ star players with nothing to show for it.
Either way, the Maple Leafs need players that want to be there and change the culture and that starts with a general manager who will dive in deep to see who will put winning above individual riches.