Too Many Maple Leafs “What Ifs” & Not Enough Answers

At this point in the season, Toronto Maple Leafs fans are tired of guessing. Every night brings a new round of “what ifs” — what if the system isn’t working, what if the roster’s unbalanced, what if the players have tuned out? Nobody seems to know for sure, and maybe that’s the problem.

The confusion isn’t just on the ice; it’s in the fanbase, too. Everyone’s trying to make sense of a team that’s supposed to be good but keeps looking like it’s running uphill with a piano on its back. Here are three “What Ifs” that are bothering the Maple Leafs.

What If #1. What if There’s a Max Domi Dilemma?

It’s fair to say Max Domi’s year has been a letdown. He’s slid all the way down to the fourth line, and even there, he doesn’t look like much of a factor. What’s frustrating for fans is that when someone like Nicholas Robertson earns his ice time, it’s still Domi getting the late-game shifts. You can’t blame people for wondering what’s behind that.

Domi was brought in to provide some offensive spark and grit, but lately he hasn’t shown much of either. He’s not producing, and defensively, he’s a liability. One fan called him “the worst Treliving signing,” and while that might be a bit harsh, you can understand the sentiment.

What If #2. What if Dakota Joshua Doesn’t Start Producing?

In a massive surprise to me, because I was a Dakota Joshua fan after watching him with the Vancouver Canucks, his name keeps coming up as an underachiever. Fans thought his two-season-ago breakout was the start of something bigger, but he’s looking more like a depth piece again. Maybe that season was an outlier — a good stretch that fooled everyone into expecting more. It’s not that Joshua doesn’t work; it’s that the production and consistency just aren’t there.

Meanwhile, solid, low-maintenance guys like Calle Järnkrok actually defend and chip in goals. Yet, he gets scratched. That’s a tough sell for fans who still believe ice time should be earned.

What If #3. What if Berube’s System Is the Wrong Fit for This Roster?

What if Berube’s not going to have success in Toronto? So far this season, he hasn’t. Could it be because his style doesn’t match the components on the ice? If so, that’s probably the most concise summary of the Maple Leafs’ problem you’ll hear. But is it true?

The Maple Leafs have skilled, offensive players who’ve never thrived in a grind-it-out system. You can demand structure and toughness all you want, but if the pieces don’t fit, the picture’s never going to come together. What if we’ve all expected too much from Berube? Perhaps this is what a Berube team looks like without an elite goalie like Jordan Binnington saving the day. The system might not be broken — it just might not belong here with this lineup.

Digging In or Running Out of Rope?

Still, Maple Leafs fans have seen this all before. That’s why not everyone’s giving up. Some still think this team can turn it around if they bear down and play through the slump. There’s really no other logical way to proceed: there’s no cavalry coming, no trades waiting in the wings. It’s up to the current roster to figure it out — or fail trying.

Maybe Easton Cowan’s spark earlier in the season showed something the veterans should notice. When he or Robertson was on the ice, the team played faster and hungrier. That kind of energy is contagious — or at least, it should be.