Grim silver lining in Toronto following Brad Treliving’s arrival…

The summer started out on a rough note for the Toronto Maple Leafs when, a few days after the team’s exit interviews, it was announced that GM Kyle Dubas was gone and replaced by Brad Treliving. The new general manager had a full plate and did his best, especially in the past week, signing superstar Auston Matthews to a four-year contract extension to keep him in Toronto until 2028.

However, Treliving hasn’t done well enough to be off Daily Face-Off Matt Larkin’s of franchises who have gotten noticeably worse on paper as training camps approach.

The Maple Leafs come in in fourth place, after losing Michael Bunting, Ryan O’Reilly, Luke Schenn, Noel Acciari, Alex Kerfoot, Erik Gustafsson, Justin Holl and Zach Aston-Reese, on to bring in Tyler Bertuzzi, John Klingberg, Max Domi, Ryan Reaves, Martin Jones and Simon Benoit, who Larkin tags as “intangibles”.

“The likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves don’t constitute upgrades over the losses in Toronto’s top nine, but they theoretically bring more of the pushback Toronto lacked at crucial moments during their Round-2 defeat to the Florida Panthers last spring. John Klingberg makes for an interesting reclamation project, but he’s a wobbly replacement for Luke Schenn, who was Toronto’s best all-around defenseman after coming over as a trade-deadline rental last winter. This team has injected plenty of personality and vigor but looks decidedly shallower and less defensively conscientious than it was by the 2022-23 season’s end.”

Larkin is aware that the Maple Leafs’ fanbase is hopeful and looks to see the team extend their run in the playoffs, past the second round, which they fell at the hands of the Florida Panthers in May.

This is the silver lining offered by Larkin:

“Tell yourself that the Leafs have traded in a few regular-season wins for the fiery types of players who help will them to a few more playoff wins.”

But it doesn’t look like it will be enough to make it all the way to the Cup.

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