Former Maple Leaf details the biggest issue the current Toronto team face

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Tom Banks
August 10, 2024 (8:38 PM)

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The Maple Leafs are set up for another big year in 2024, and now a former Leaf has revealed why this team has struggled to live up to expectations recently.

The Toronto Maple Leafs build up expectations year after year, and with the biggest fan base in the league, their Stanley Cup Playoffs disappointments get bigger and bigger. These past years may have been the worst, with the team failing to win a round after being eliminated in a Game 7 heartbreaker against the Boston Bruins, and it has spurred change, with Craig Berube in as the new Head Coach.

However, former Maple Leaf Carlo Colaiacovo has identified where this team has gone and continues to go wrong, revealing that their player development, specifically on the blue line has let them down more than anything.

«The only thing that I do agree with on these rankings is their drafting and developing. They deserve a �C' because, as I've stated all along � and this goes back to when Kyle Dubas was managing this team � when you put yourself in a position to build a salary structure with your team where you're going to build around four forwards, and it is going to occupy a large percentage of your cap, almost half of your cap, how the heck, organizationally, you did not decide to draft and develop more stud defensemen is beyond me,» Colaiacovo explained.

It's hard to argue with him here, as the team's biggest weakness has been their lack of puck moving defenseman, with the pick of Ben Danford in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft clearly an indicator that Brad Treliving wants to move on from Kyle Dubas' mistakes. With such talent up front, it becomes especially disappointing that the blue line just hasn't developed, with Colaiacovo detailing just how frustrating their approach has been.

«That's what has kept this organization back. Since Morgan Rielly, what defenseman has this team drafted and developed that has been a stud on defense?» Colaiacovo asked. "Justin Holl, (Rasmus) Sandin, (Timothy) Liljegren � that's where the organizational failure has been with this team. You've built around four forwards, and you just continue to draft forwards to play with those guys.»

With the additions of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the team is set up well with good depth on the blue line this year, but unless they develop a young defenseman, this problem will continue to pop up, especially with all of the money they have invested in their incredibly talented forward group.

Source: Hockey Feed
Ex-Leaf reveals biggest problem with current Maple Leafs