There are moments in every season when a team has to decide who it really is. Saturday night (October 18) felt like one of those for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Visually the game wasn’t pretty. The numbers at five-a-side said they were fine – positive in the right analysis – but something was off in the spirit of the game.
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This should be a team with new DNA, built in the image of Craig Berube’s no-nonsense, tough philosophy. But if we’re being honest, we haven’t seen that version of the Maple Leafs yet.
The results so far are between two eras: too skilled to be tough, too tough to be skilled. And that is why it is time for this group to fully focus on the identity that the organization has been promising since Berube came in.
What does the Maple Leafs ‘new DNA’ really mean?
General manager Brad Treliving didn’t reshape the bottom six for fun. The Maple Leafs’ offseason plan was to build a roster that finally pushes back, making opponents pay a price for parking in front of the net or skating freely through the neutral zone. Bigger, harder, more physical. Those were the words. But for all the talk about DNA, we’re still seeing too much of the old team’s habits: circling, reacting, waiting for someone else to get involved.
Being physical doesn’t mean players have to be guided through the boards every shift. It means you own the space. It means that when the other team’s defenders see blue jerseys, they know it’s going to hurt to play. That is not yet visible. Maybe that’s because the players who get the most ice time — guys like Matthews, Nylander and Rielly — aren’t naturally physical. But that’s exactly why Berube’s structure needs muscles mixed throughout the setup.
Time to spread the Maple Leafs toughness
Right now, the Maple Leafs’ size and edge are concentrated in the bottom six. That’s not enough. Teams divide the scores for balance; Toronto needs to spread the physicality for impact.
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Take Bobby McMann, who leads all forwards with 26 hits. He doesn’t need to score to make a difference – just give John Tavares some space to work. Put him on that line and let him thump on the front leg. Then look at the Matthews unit. Instead of using skill-for-skill players like Max Domi or Mattias Maccelli, why not give Dakota Joshua or Nicolas Roy a try?
Joshua had some top shifts lately and didn’t look out of place. Roy, at 6-foot-4, provides range and presence, even if he still needs to find that extra snap. One of them belongs there permanently.
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If Joshua or Roy move up, the other could anchor the third line with Easton Cowan and Domi – two players who can skate, make plays and stir the pot. The fourth rule? That should be Berube hockey in its purest form: Sammy Blais, Scott Laughton when healthyand Steven Lorentz. Three guys hitting, fighting and making the ice a little smaller for the other team.
Maple Leafs must move on from the wrong fit
We all love Nicholas Robertson, but it’s time to be honest: he doesn’t fit in this team. Toronto seems afraid to trade him for fear he will become the next Jared McCann or Mason Marchment, but holding on out of fear is not leadership. Robertson plays a fast, perimeter game. That is no longer the identity of the team. The same could be said of Maccelli, who exudes creativity but fades under pressure.
Calle Järnkrok is a different story. He’s not big, but he’s smart and stable – an ideal 13th forward who won’t cost you a game. David Kämpf could also fit that bill, which would give him more size and reliability on penalty kills if the team wants a heavier look in that role.
The message from the Maple Leafs bench to the room
Berube and Treliving didn’t put this roster together to be in the middle of the road. They built it to be miserable to play against. The players who buy into it stay. Those who don’t – regardless of skill level – will eventually disappear from the lineup. That’s the evolution we’re watching in real time.
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This selection has been carefully redesigned to create its new identity. The Maple Leafs need to stop using it and start owning it. Play dirty. Protect your goalkeeper. Click first, ask questions later.
What’s next for the Maple Leafs?
Toronto faces a series of games that will test its spine. The numbers may suggest they’re OK, but the eye test indicates they’re not dangerous enough. We’ve seen this movie before – great on paper, great on the ice. This time it has to change.
We don’t need them to become the Broad Street Bullies overnight. But we need to see them perform as a team that finally understands what their DNA really is. If Berube is going to build something sustainable here, it won’t start with systems or slogans. It starts with sweat, clapping and a little resistance.
Because until the Maple Leafs feeling Otherwise, all this talk about identity doesn’t mean much at all.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
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