Brendan Shanahan gives answer on if he thinks the Leafs can still win

The Toronto Maple Leafs performed in a very underwhelming fashion once again during the playoffs, and due to this, changes have already begun to occur. However, if you read between the lines of a year-end press conference that included the likes of President and CEO of MLSE Keith Pelley and Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan, personnel changes amongst the core four will likely be occurring.

Brendan Shanahan was asked explicitly if he believed in the core four and their overall ability to win when it mattered, and without being present, his long-winded answer didn't include the word yes. Although it's obvious and common for words to be misconstrued, avoiding a question without a clear answer is an absolute detriment to what fans and the media deserve to know.





The fact that the team is approaching nearly a decade with some semblance of the core four and one first-round win to show for it is utterly embarrassing, and everyone knows something needs to change, but the question of what and how is the issue. With the four taking forty million dollars and a NMC attached to each of them suggesting something needs to get done and making it happen, these are two totally different thoughts and ideas, and it's possible nothing actually does happen.


But as everyone has already determined and suggested, if the Toronto Maple Leafs want to win a Stanley Cup in this era, the team must look different because no matter who they've brought in during this time, nothing has worked, so shipping someone out who has an entitlement issue not only sends a message to whomever will be left but also shifts the landscape of the team dramatically, provided it's done right.