Did the Maple Leafs just pull off a major distraction tactic to fool their fans?

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Tom Banks
August 18, 2024 (10:23)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been begging for change, and while the switch of captains appears nice, is it really the best change for this long suffering franchise?

After six years of John Tavares as captain in Toronto, this past week the team officially made the switch to Auston Matthews, who was announced as the 26th captain in team history this past week. On paper, it represents the change that this franchise has sorely needed after yet another Stanley Cup Playoff failure in 2024, but is it really going to make much of a difference?

For many, this change is significant for the Maple Leafs, but with John Tavares and the core four remaining in Toronto, as well as the same front office that has put this group together, many believe the Auston Matthews move is a simple distraction from the underlying issues that have held them back from success.

Sure, Craig Berube appears to be the right coach to lead them forward given the lack of accountability we saw under Sheldon Keefe, but without a front office willing to sell off players and make significant change after years of failure, how can Berube confidently promote change moving forward?

These are all questions that will be answered in the coming weeks and months, but for now, it appears to be a simple summer of distractions for furious Maple Leafs fans that suffered a Game 7 loss just a few months ago to end their season.

Does Auston Matthews deserve captaincy? Absolutely, especially given the love and admiration so many displayed of his work ethic and captaincy during the press conference to announce the move, but ultimately, this is a team that needs to prove it on the ice, and until that point, we may never see significant change for this organization.

Source: The Standard
Changing letters distract Maple Leafs fans from some disturbing numbers