The Maple Leafs Changed Everything. But Did They Change

There is something funny about the way we talk about NHL teams in the summer. A team makes six or seven changes, and suddenly we call it a new team. The Toronto Maple Leafs certainly look different. John Chayka has brought in new players, a new coach is behind the bench, and there are some pretty significant changes coming to the lineup.

But here's the question I keep coming back to: Have the Leafs actually changed? Or have they simply changed the names on the jerseys?

The Maple Leafs must still fix the same old problems, but this time with new players.

The Maple Leafs have spent years trying to solve the same basic problems. They have wanted to become harder to play against. They have wanted better defence. They have wanted more reliable goaltending. They have wanted players who can handle the physical side of playoff hockey.

And every summer, there is a version of the same story. This year, though, the changes feel a little different. Chayka hasn't simply gone shopping for the biggest names available. He has added players who seem to have specific jobs. Darren Raddysh is supposed to help move the puck and run the power play. Nick Paul brings size and versatility. Colton Sissons gives them another experienced player who can handle difficult minutes.

Even the goaltending decision tells us something. Sergei Bobrovsky is 38 years old. That isn't exactly a bet on youth. It's a bet on experience. And maybe that's the point.

The Maple Leafs aren’t necessarily trying to get younger; they’re trying to get more deliberate.

The Maple Leafs don't appear to be trying to become a younger version of themselves. They seem to be trying to become a more deliberate version of themselves. That's a subtle difference, but it could be an important one. The real test, however, won't come when the puck drops in October. It will come when things go wrong.

Every team looks good when the plan is working. What happens when the Maple Leafs fall behind? What happens when their older defencemen get tired? What happens when Bobrovsky gives up a bad goal? What happens when the stars aren't scoring?

That's when we'll find out whether this is really a different Maple Leafs team. Because changing players is relatively easy. Changing habits is much harder.

The Maple Leafs have waffled between brilliant and fragile. Will that change?

For years, the Maple Leafs have been one of those teams that could look terrific when everything was going right and strangely fragile when it wasn't. Maybe Chayka has finally decided that the answer isn't simply adding more talent. Maybe the answer is building a team that knows what it wants to be.

That's what fans will be watching. Not whether the Maple Leafs are better on paper. It’s whether they look different when the game gets difficult. There is a big difference between the two.