The "I will believe it when I see it" mantra should be put on t-shirts. It encapsulates exactly what fans believe of this team, entirely the fault of their own (Dubas worst decisions were those RFA contracts).
Hayes has cemented himself as a true fan and analyst by having the courage to call it out. It lends credit to an industry which increasingly fans think is just a love-fest for the team.
The only way this Leaf team wins is if the metrics they care about are decline sharply. This means noone (meaning far fewer of course) is buying Leaf mugs, caps or jerseys. No one reacts to their twitter posts. No one clicks on the links to their stories, fewer tune in to their games etc. There will be a point where a kid will say "why did you buy me this Leafs cap?"
They will continue to make ticket revenue because of the corporations. However, if interest declines, the corporations might be able to negotiate better terms for their ads. Ditto for their T.V deals which is more difficult to see a loss in revenue because of the high demand and low supply of games but the Rogers overpayment confirmed that networks need to proceed with caution, you can overpay for the rights.
Ultimately though, the Leafs own hubris, started by Ballard really; has ensured a lack of true leadership in management. In military terms, we lack our George Patton who demands success over marketing.