Toronto Maple Leafs need to make significant changes next season

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell at the final hurdle with their 3-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 5 of the qualifying round and changes are needed.

After starting the season extremely poorly under Mike Babcock, the Toronto Maple Leafs showed real promise and progress under Sheldon Keefe but were still unable to overcome inconsistent play and win a post-season series for the first time since 2004.

The 2020-21 season will undoubtedly see some changes take place with the Leafs, but there needs to be some fairly significant changes if the organisation has any hopes of getting over the hump and living up to the fan base’s high expectations.

While he is only just coming to the end of his second season as the team’s general manager, Kyle Dubas should certainly feel as if he is on the hot seat entering his third year – one where the team truly need to show progress to convince president Brendan Shanahan he is the right person to take the team forward.

There are two primary areas that changes need to occur for the Leafs, with some decisions much easier than others, and if Dubas hopes to remain in the job for more than one more season, he will need to seriously consider all possibilities.