Wayne Gretzky gets honest about Maple Leafs offseason

It's no secret that a Canadian-based National Hockey League franchise has not been able to capture the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens did so 30 years ago in 1993. Since then, despite rosters being laden with plenty of Canadian talent, the iconic trophy has only been awarded to American-based teams since 1994. 

For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they've made what they believe are several upgrades to their roster after coming off a season in which they finally managed to win a postseason series for the first time since 2004. Coming in are the likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, Ryan Reaves and John Klingberg while head coach Sheldon Keefe was extended.

Of course, those moves all came on the heels of former general manager Kyle Dubas having been jettisoned from the club by team president Brendan Shanahan; former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving is now running the show. 

How does Wayne Gretzky feel about the prospects of the Leafs being the team to end the Canadian Stanley Cup drought? Take a look at what he had to say about their offseason during a recent appearance on the "Leafs Morning Take" podcast. 

"I like what they've added to their team," he said. "Reaves is one of our favorites on TNT. He's a wonderful team guy."

How about the arrival of Treliving as Dubas' replacement? 

"Hopefully this is their year - Brad Treliving is a wonderful man," he said. "I think he's the right guy to take on that responsibility and the pressure of running the Toronto Maple Leaf."

Gretzky then gave a nod to his beloved late father, who was a Maple Leafs fan growing up.

"My dad went to 35 of 40 Leafs games a year," he said. "I know that in his heart he wanted so badly, desperately to see them win the Cup so hopefully this is their year."

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