Can the Marner money be better deployed in other areas is an important question because to me it’s about can this core group win a cup together and I don’t think they can. Too similar, too soft and don’t have it in them to battle as hard as their opponents will. They’re not going to suddenly change to become gritty superstars like Crosby, Toews or Kucherov and how can they find that player / leader with these guys running the show ?
As bad as the optics might be, if they flame out in the playoffs again, major roster changes must happen. Let Marner walk, sign Tavares as a 3C to $4M x 4 or let him walk, buyout or trade Domi, take the $22M in addition cap space and bring in players that know how to win when it counts like Bennett, Braydon Schenn, Marchand … Target Chychrun, Eckblad as UFA’s or Rasmus Andersson who is one year away.
If McDavid doesn’t re-sign over the summer in Edmonton, they need to plan to have cap space available for him if he gets to UFA in July 2026 or perhaps trade for him prior to that because Edmonton won’t want to see him walk away for nothing.
Moving off their core group and Thinking outside the box is something the Shanahan Leafs have never been prepared to do. Let’s hope he’s no longer around to prevent it from happening.