Toronto Maple Leafs fan therapy Vol. 1: The new era

I’m a Leafs fan first and foremost. I’ve not kept that a secret, and I have never claimed to be some kind of unbiased member of the “media.” I’m just a guy in a toxic relationship with a hockey team who was asked by someone whose judgment should be questioned to write about that relationship. 

This year I’m fully leaning into it. My strong suit is not detailed analyses of hockey tactics, or prospect rankings, or even delving deep into analytics and stats. What I do best, in my opinion, is essentially doing written therapy every week, offering what I humbly think are humorous reflections on the goings-on in Leafdom. Therefore, every week I will release “Toronto Maple Leafs fan therapy” where we will celebrate, commiserate, cope, and catastrophize together in community. 

For this piece, I decided to write about some thoughts I have going into this season. 

It’s Auston’s time

When Auston Matthews was handed the captaincy in August of last year, it was the final official step that needed to be taken so that the Leafs truly became Auston’s team. Unfortunately, however, an injury sustained in training camp before last season lingered throughout the year. Matthews was noticeably not himself; his shot was nowhere near as lethal, and he missed time on several occasions to get treatment. This year, he has assured the media that he is back to 100%, saying at the beginning of training camp, “I’m super happy with how I feel and just how the first two days have gone.” 

With Mitch Marner gone, Matthews is the only main character in the spotlight. Yes, there are complementary pieces—William Nylander is a bona fide elite player, John Tavares and Morgan Reilly are key components—but it’s Matthews who must drive this bus. Leafs fans, this one included, are expecting Auston to return to near his form from the 2023–24 season, where he put up 69 goals and 107 points. Historically, over the last four years, Matthews has had an amazing season, followed by a down season. If the trend holds, expect Matthews to light it up this year. 

The buck stops at Brad

The Leafs are no longer following the Shanaplan. With Keith Pelley stepping in as President and CEO of MLSE and electing not to appoint a president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brad Treliving now essentially holds the keys to the kingdom. This is the freedom many Leafs fans were hoping for in the early days of Kyle Dubas, but it’s now Brad who has to take this team to the next level. 

A new(ish) era

The start of this season feels new. With the Core Four Era officially in the rearview mirror, the Leafs have an opportunity to develop a new identity. We saw flashes of this identity last season under Berube. Defensively focused, hard-hitting, and willing to play a slower game, the Leafs excelled during the regular season. However, in the playoffs, the old demons resurfaced. Once again, on multiple occasions, the Leafs did not show up when it mattered. I’m thinking of Game 5 against Ottawa and Games 5 and 7 against Florida (sorry for bringing up those memories). 

This year, the Leafs are worse on paper, but as I wrote previously, I’m not sure the fans really care. We have been screaming for some form of change since basically the collapse against Montreal, and had to sit through Groundhog Playoffs every year since. 

Now, it feels like we have at least some calm. There are no major players on expiring contracts, meaning we won’t have that as a distraction. Our goaltending actually seems solid, Woll’s absence notwithstanding. There are some concerns about the age of our team, especially the defence, but the corps is pretty much the same as last year (which is a good thing, not something we’ve normally experienced). 

On to the season

This season, the hockey has to do the talking. There are no more distractions, no more blame games; it’s time for the players to prove they are the elite squad that we’ve been told they are. We need to see that these players can show up in meaningful games, and we need to see that the pressure isn’t too great. Frankly, I’m still where I was at the end of last season. I still love this team, I will always love this team, but they need to prove to me that I should continue to hold them to the standards that we’ve been holding them to since Auston Matthews came to town. Fittingly, it’s also Auston Matthews who is most responsible for proving it.