May 5, 2024
On April 11, 2014 Brendan Shanahan was announced as President and Alternate Governor of the Toronto Maple Leafs. A decade later, the Leafs have won exactly one playoff round under the Shanaplan. Volumes will be written about what needs to happen next in Toronto. As a Habs fan living in Toronto, and over-exposed to the drama that has already ensued with another first-round playoff exit, I’m considering the Leafs errors that won’t be made in Montreal.
The Habs won’t employ a dysfunctional management matrix.
Since we’re talking about the Shanaplan, we have to start by looking at Brendan Shanahan. Dave Nonis remained as General Manager for one year after Shanahan was hired, and was then replaced by Lou Lamoriello. Remember the two assistants hired under Lou? Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas – both hired with a view to mentorship under Lou and an eventually progression to the GM role. When Dubas was named GM in 2018, Hunter moved on.
Dubas was reportedly always Shanny’s guy, but when the young GM asked for more voice in decision-making, conflict ensued. The conflict ended last summer with Dubas’ departure and Brad Treliving was hired as the new GM in Toronto.
Everyone was waiting for significant change under Treliving. The narrative was that Dubas was not prepared to veer from the course he had set. But that’s not what happened. Coach Sheldon Keefe – allegedly Dubas’ guy – was extended, the commitment to the Core Fore was solidified, and the previous style of attempting to fill significant holes at the trade deadline continued.
The question begs to be asked. How much of the decision-making has rested with the Leafs GM, and how much rests with the President? Will Treliving have the freedom to do what obviously needs doing this summer, and move away from the Core Fore? Will the GM finally be able to move out one of the big-name forwards to add a defenseman?
When the Montreal Canadiens hired Jeff Gorton as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, and then hired Kent Hughes as General Manager, the narrative at that time was that Gorton would be the decision-maker and Hughes would be little more than the translator, delivering Gorton’s decisions to the public in French.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The impression left with every public appearance of Gorton and Hughes, together and separately, is that they are indeed a management duo. They both bring knowledge and experience to the table, while also employing a team of hockey professionals who are also asked to bring their knowledge and skills to the table.
At this stage, no one views Hughes as a mouthpiece. In fact, his role is so prominent that when the GM position opened in Columbus, a narrative arose about whether Jeff Gorton would be interested. He shut that down himself, stating that the thoughts dominating his mind were winning a Stanley Cup in Montreal.
All signs point to a highly functional management duo in Montreal, and the same cannot be said in Toronto.
The Habs won’t chase shiny free agents that don’t fit what they’re trying to build.
In the summer of 2018, John Tavares hit free agency and it was no secret that his preference was to come home to Toronto. That put Leafs management in a difficult position – a highly touted Toronto-born UFA wanted to come home. It was an impossibility to walk away from, even if they should have.
Tavares was a luxury the Leafs didn’t need. They had Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, not to mention a strong second-line centreman in Nazem Kadri already under contract.
Tavares was about to turn 28 before the next season began, and was inked to seven years. He was seven years older than Matthews and Marner and six years older than Nylander. Tavares just didn’t fit their window.
By signing him, they tied their cap structure in complete knots. It put the writing on the wall for Kadri’s departure – yes, the problem child who has since hoisted the cup – and it limited their ability to build a balanced team. Now they are faced with a decision of who they move this summer to try and salvage this window.
The Hockey News may have jinxed them, but there were only three guys in that photo.
The Maple Leafs made a second unforced error where Tavares was concerned – they made him captain. If you want your kids to rise up and take control of their team, you don’t make a move that sends a giant message that you don’t see any of them as leaders. Matthews has become the face of the Leafs. Nylander and Rielly have been the guys who have shown up in the playoffs. The Leafs would have been wise to provoke their rise to leadership, instead of bringing in a veteran and handing him the C.
Naming Nick Suzuki captain was one of the smartest things that HuGo has done in their tenure so far. It sent an undeniable message about what they saw as their window and who they expected to lead the team back to their winning ways. At the time they could have chosen Brendan Gallagher, who had already shed blood, sweat and tears for the Montreal Canadiens. They could have even chosen Jeff Petry or David Savard. But neither of those decisions would have sent the message that was sent when they named Suzuki.
HuGo has not yet been faced with a decision like the Tavares UFA decision. The closest would have been Pierre-Luc Dubois last summer, but that was a trade and he fit their window. Differences aside, let’s get one thing straight – the Habs could have won the PLD sweepstakes. They could have offered a package that Winnipeg would not have refused. But it would have meant trading a player they saw as part of their core moving forward, and maybe even paying him a little more on the cap than they thought he was worth.
They resisted.
Hughes and Gorton have both said they are open to free agency and trades to improve the team with one prerequisite – any deal has to contribute to what they’re trying to build for the long term in Montreal.
The Habs won’t rely on short term solutions to fill significant holes.
When was the last trade deadline when the Leafs weren’t looking for defensemen? And I don’t mean depth – every playoff team is looking for depth. No, the Toronto Maple Leafs approach every trade deadline looking for a top four defenseman, sometimes two. That’s no state for a presumed playoff team to be in. You can’t build a winning team on deadline grabs.
Last summer they knew they needed to add grit and be more physical. Their solution was to add Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi on one-year deals, and fringe NHLer Ryan Reaves on a three-year deal. The playoffs ended with their grit in the pressbox, and another summer with the same needs on the list.
The responsibility of any management group is to build a balanced team, identifying holes as you progress toward the window opening, and filling them. In a perfect world, free agency is for final pieces and trade deadlines are for depth or “take us over the top” moves.
Next season the Montreal Canadiens hope to be in the mix competing to make the playoffs. In their end of season press conference, Hughes identified two needs for the summer – goal scoring and physicality. He’s identifying these needs as he is still building the core. One of the ways for Hughes to fill these needs is by dealing from a position of strength. With an embarrassment of riches at left-side defense, Hughes can create a package for a forward who is a goal scorer or brings physicality, or both.
By committing too fiercely to the Core Fore, the Leafs have limited their options to balance their team. If they want to move forward, tough decisions are inevitable this summer. We may have seen the last of the Core Fore.
As currently constructed, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a cautionary tale. But it’s not one that Habs fans need to be concerned about.
Hab At Her 