Weekly Takes - Monday, May 6 Edition

1. My three stars from the Maple Leafs best performance of the season in game five against the Bruins on Tuesday...

1. Joseph Woll

2. Matthew Knies

3. Max Domi

On the road, without their star player, and they leave with a victory after playing their best defensive game of the season.

This is why everyone despises this team, yet this is why it is so tough to move off this core. They know how to rope you in.

2. My three stars from the Leafs stellar performance against the Bruins in game six on Thursday...

1. Woll

2. William Nylander

3. Jake McCabe

Another stellar defensive performance, with Woll showing why he can be the goalie of the future.

Auston Matthews had himself a game in game two. Nylander has had his big game here in game six.

What say you in game seven, 16?

3. My three stars from the Leafs game seven loss to the Bruins on Saturday...

1. Nylander

2. Knies

3. Simon Benoit

Another strong performance defensively, but at the end of the day, it does not matter. The season ended just like every season has ended with this core.

They cannot score in elimination games, they dug themselves a hole by mailing in two performances at home, and the other goalie was better.

The end of this core, at long last.

4. I would start by firing Brendan Shanahan, who did an amazing job turning the franchise around.

Creating Legends Row, deciding to retire numbers, changing the logo and sweaters, investing in analytics, player development, and sports science, etc. He turned a losing franchise into a perennial playoff team.

But in ten years, he could not turn a losing franchise into a Stanley Cup champion. After ten years, with the team at a crossroads, it is time to move on and have a fresh perspective at the top of the helm.

Who do you replace him with? It could literally be anyone in hockey. When the President job of the Maple Leafs opens up, anyone is a possibility.

5. Sheldon Keefe should be fired as well. He has simply been outcoached in far too many playoff series, despite the fact that he does seem to know how to push the right buttons with the core more times than not.

Craig Berube is the obvious choice here.

6. It is just not the front office and coaching staff that should be impacted by this loss, however. (All though Guy Boucher needs to be shown the door as well.)

It is time to split up this core.

Matthews is arguably the second-best player on the planet, Nylander is an elite playoff perfomer, and John Tavares' contract will simply play itself out for one final season.

That leaves Mitch Marner.

This should have been done after the loss to the Blue Jackets in the bubble or after their loss to Montreal at the latest.

Now is officially the time. Obviously, it will take two to tangle here, since he will need to waive his n-move clause. But he cannot be brought back.

7. Given the shock-waves that would come with a Marner trade, it is tough to put together a projected lineup for 2024-'25.

But they are going to need to re-sign Max Domi, let Tyler Bertuzzi walk and replace him with Easton Cowan, a third-line centre, two top-four defencemen, and a backup goalie.

Moving off David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok could be tidy business as well.

8. The Jets continue to remain at a crossroads with their core, too.

They are a perennial playoff team that can compete with anyone, yet no one was picking them to come out of the West for a reason.

They are a tier below the very best teams in the NHL, yet have almost no room for improvement.