Can Jim Hiller Make the Maple Leafs Better?

There is a pretty simple question hanging over the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Can Jim Hiller make this team better? That might sound obvious. Isn't that what a new coach is supposed to do?

But this feels a little different in Toronto. John Chayka has changed the roster, the organization has added Gavin McKenna, and suddenly the Leafs don't look like a team that can afford to spend another year figuring things out. The pieces are there. The question is whether they fit.

What About McKenna and the Team’s Depth?

Putting an 18-year-old alongside Auston Matthews is going to be fascinating. McKenna doesn't have to carry the team, and nobody should expect him to. But if his playmaking gives Matthews another dangerous option, Toronto's top end could become much more difficult to defend.

Then there is the depth. The Maple Leafs have added some useful players, but useful isn't always the same thing as good enough. Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime give Toronto some experience and versatility. But if the Leafs need more offence from the bottom six, where does it come from?

That's where players such as Easton Cowan become important. Toronto can't keep talking about its young players as the future while waiting for the future to arrive. At some point, Cowan and the other young players have to become part of the solution.

Related: Will Nylander Behave This Season? Let’s Hope Not.

What About the Defence and Goaltending?

The defence might be the pleasant surprise. Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev give Toronto some established pieces, while Darren Raddysh, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Emil Andrae add different elements. William Villeneuve is another name worth watching. Maybe that group is better than it looks on paper.

Sergei Bobrovsky doesn't have to be the goalie he was five years ago. Anthony Stolarz doesn't have to become a superstar. Toronto simply needs the two of them to give Hiller a dependable 1A/1B situation. That's a pretty big ask.

And that's really where Hiller comes in.

The Maple Leafs don't need him to reinvent hockey. They need him to get the most out of what Chayka has given him.

Can he improve the possession game without taking away the creativity of Matthews and William Nylander? Can he get enough from the bottom six? Can he find the right roles for the young players? Can he make the defence look more reliable? Can he keep the goaltending from becoming a nightly adventure?

Those questions may tell us more about the Maple Leafs than any individual player does. Because this isn't really a rebuild anymore.

Toronto has Matthews. It has Nylander. It has McKenna. Now Hiller has to make all the pieces fit. That might be the biggest challenge of the season.

Related: Did the Maple Leafs Find the Kind of Defenceman Every Team Wants?