Toronto Maple Leafs: 4 questions to answer coming out of All-Star Break
By Austin Owens
While Auston Matthews poses with puppies in Tampa Bay, his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates and coaches are getting some much-needed R&R back in Southern Ontario.
Whether you follow the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Pittsburgh Penguins or whoever, it’s the most exciting time of the year to be a hockey fan. The All-Star Game is this weekend, the trade deadline is a month away, and the playoffs are on the horizon.
The Leafs sit in a better position than they did a year ago today. Although their spot in the standings looks better, the team has gone through its fair share of rough patches along the way.
It’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows down the stretch for the Buds, as most games for the remainder of the year will be tight-checking and have a playoff feel, as teams start to bunker down for the postseason.
Before the All-Star break, the Leafs did solve some of the problems lingering around them. Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Nazem Kadri have all found their offensive touch as of late. Travis Dermott appears to be a solid option for the future on the back-end, and Mike Babcock looks to have found a good mix in terms of lines.
There are, however, some questions to be answered when it comes to personnel decisions and moves going forward. Here are just a few of the major things the Toronto Maple Leafs need to consider after the All-Star Break concludes.