There's One Problem the Maple Leafs Can't Coach Away

In Toronto, there's a tendency to look at a team's struggles and wonder whether the coach is the problem. It's understandable. Coaches are visible, their decisions are easy to question, and a change behind the bench always offers the possibility of a fresh start.

But I'm beginning to wonder whether the Maple Leafs have a problem that Jim Hiller can't solve, no matter how good a coach he turns out to be.

Maple Leafs Showed What They Could Be in Edmonton. Then Reality Hit.

Consider the recent stretch. Toronto put together an impressive win in Edmonton, showing what its faster, more aggressive forward group could accomplish. Then came two losses in which the Maple Leafs surrendered nine goals. That's quite a swing, and it raises a question that goes beyond coaching.

How much can Hiller really accomplish with a defence that still looks short of what a competitive NHL team needs?

The Maple Leafs have some encouraging pieces. Morgan Rielly has looked better, Darren Raddysh has helped, and getting Chris Tanev back would certainly make a difference. But injuries have exposed the lack of dependable depth. There's a difference between having a couple of good defencemen and having a defensive group that can handle the demands of an 82-game season.

What About the Maple Leafs' Roster Construction?

And that's where roster construction comes into the conversation. Hiller can ask his forwards to backcheck harder, manage the puck better and spend less time defending in their own zone. He can work on defensive positioning and try to get more out of the players available to him. Those things matter.

But changing the system can't necessarily turn a third-pairing defenceman into a dependable second-pairing player. Nor can he manufacture a puck-moving defenceman or a reliable defensive partner when the personnel aren't there.

There's also a connection between offence and defence that teams sometimes overlook. A team that struggles to get the puck out of its own zone spends less time attacking. Eventually, even talented forwards start looking less dangerous because they're spending too much energy recovering the puck.

I'm not suggesting the Leafs need to abandon what Hiller is trying to build. The faster style has shown some promise, and there's reason to give it time.

Do the Maple Leafs Need Another Reliable Blue-Liner?

But management has to look honestly at the roster, too. If Toronto wants to compete consistently, adding another dependable defenceman may be more important than finding another forward who can score. A coach can change how a team plays. He can't fix every problem with the players he's given.

And that's something worth remembering before the next coaching debate starts.