As players, management and owners, we share the same frustration as everyone else for not having done the job.
launched the president of the team, Brendan Shanahan.
It is certain that looking ahead to next year there will be new faces as always. That said, we won’t make changes just for the sake of making changes.
The organization is not interested in the idea of undermining its current structure. Shanahan also gave a vote of confidence that could not be clearer in the place of his general manager Kyle Dubas and his head coach Sheldon Keefe in a press briefing.
Kyle has built a great hockey team. I think he made the right adjustments along the way. Sheldon is a great trainer. I think it is important to state that I consider these two people to be extremely important for us to reach the next level.
he said.
” Our players know that we are close to the goal, but at the same time, they know that we are not there yet. »
The Maple Leafs were eliminated for the sixth straight year at the start of the playoffs.
Photo: The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette
The four forwards – Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander – on which the team’s success hinges are also unlikely to be touched over the summer, although Kyle Dubas hasn’t defended them as staunchly. than last year.
I don’t consider our core to be just the Core 4. I never refer to the team in those exact terms. I look at the core as a whole (with defenders Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly, among others, editor’s note) and try to determine what is the best way for us to achieve our goal.
” I don’t think we just want to make changes that can be sideways or make us inferior as a team just to say we changed something. »
The Maple Leafs had their best campaign in franchise history this year, setting new team highs in wins (54 in 82 games) and points (115). Nine players also set personal highs. Among them, Matthews notably scored 60 goals and Marner approached the 100 point mark.
I think the season gave me a lot of hope and the way we did in the playoffs against Tampa gives me even more confidence. However, we need to take the next steps and that is where all of your attention and efforts will be focused this summer.
said Dubas.
The Maple Leafs general manager has not ruled out the possibility of making trades. He will assess everything possible
to improve his team, but overall he mostly plans reproduce in most cases
the way he operated last summer, that is to say by finding bargains on the free agent market.
Last summer, the Maple Leafs signed forwards Michael Bunting, Ondrej Kase, David Kampf and Nick Ritchie, all of whom except Ritchie have done great service this season.
The players emptied their locker room
The Maple Leafs were eliminated in seven games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
Photo: The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn
Maple Leafs players also emptied their locker rooms at the team’s practice complex on Tuesday. Disappointed with the turn of events, they nevertheless spoke optimistically about the future.
I said it last season. We gotta keep knocking on the door until we knock it down
said John Tavares.
To have the right to go far in the playoffs, you have to have this killer instinct and we talked about it as a group. This is another good opportunity to learn a lesson. This elimination hurts, but I think it will reinforce our hatred for it
said defenseman Morgan Rielly.
” The belief within our group is that we have what it takes [pour gagner en séries]. But we obviously haven’t proven it yet. »
Defenseman Jake Muzzin, for his part, pointed out that the Maple Leafs will have to find another speed. There is always a way to do better, whether we are talking about statistics or mentality, attitude, emotional control. We can all do more.
As for striker William Nylander, he confided that he don’t think there’s much missing
to the Maple Leafs. Even if everyone wants to win, we want it even more.
Veterans Jason Spezza and Mark Giordano, both 38 and up-and-coming free agents this summer, haven’t ruled out returning to the Maple Leafs next season.
In the case of Spezza, in fact, it is between retirement and a return to Toronto that he hesitates. As for Giordano, he wants to play for a team that has a real chance of winning… like Toronto.
Goaltender Jack Campbell, who will be as free as air this summer, has expressed interest in extending his adventure in Toronto. Victorious in 31 of his 47 starts this season, he only received an annual salary of $1.65 million. He will be entitled to a considerable increase in his next contract.
Forward Mitch Marner did not meet with reporters due to events the day before. He was the victim of an armed robbery in the suburbs of Toronto on Monday evening.
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca