5 moves the Maple Leafs can make to get back to the playoffs

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs left many fans heartbroken. Now, general manager Kyle Dubas has to find a way to push the team forward.

On the morning of Friday, May 11, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Brendan Shanahan — President and Alternate Governor — had promoted 31-year-old Kyle Dubas to serve as the 17th General Manager in the team’s history.

The move was a direct result of the news that Lou Lamoriello would not return for another season as the organization’s GM. As such, the talk circuit of hockey media became enveloped by a recurring question: which of Dubas or Mark Hunter — both assistant GMs — could best fit the bill? That Dubas was eventually selected is not much of a surprise for fans of the franchise. Nevertheless, Leafs Nation now knows who will pilot the organization from the top — a prospect which entails ensuring that the Shanaplan comes into complete fruition.

Both the upcoming summer and the 2018-19 season promise to be centered on widespread excitement, challenges and expectations for the Dubas-led Maple Leafs. As a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins ended the Buds’ 2017-18 campaign on a rather sour note, fans of the team shall demand a bounce-back for the ages — one that is comprised of a legitimate push for Lord Stanley’s trophy.

Here are five moves that the Maple Leafs can make to ensure that they return to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

5. Sign Nylander and Marner

When Lamoriello was brought on board by the Maple Leafs in July 2015, he was tasked with overseeing the early stages of the Shanaplan. Fans revered at the mere prospect of “Loophole Lou” setting a culture of winning ways into motion and were especially overjoyed when their dream was translated into a reality sooner than anyone had initially supposed.

Central to the team’s stellar performance over the course of the past two seasons are a trio of players that have been hailed by Leafs Nation as Toronto’s “Big 3:” Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner.

While talk of trades has, at times, enveloped the overarching narrative of hockey in the 6ix, the aforementioned youngsters continue to be regarded as the primary faces of the franchise. And as any Maple Leafs fan will tell you, it’s all but expected that this remains the case for years to come.

Mr. Dubas, consequently, shall be tasked with working his magic in the emerging months. It’s a true test for the young GM, but one that has been up and coming for quite some time, as Nylander is due for an extension in the summer. The question of whether Matthews is to be a feature of imminent discussions will surely occupy Toronto media, but due attention should also be paid to Marner, whose stellar performance in both the regular season and playoffs made him an obvious candidate for the Buds’ MVP.

Signing Nylander is a must. But also offering Marner an extension would be ideal.