Marner, McMann and Minten are becoming evidence of Toronto’s biggest roster problem

You can point to a lot of positives for the Toronto Maple Leafs over the last decade despite the lack of postseason success. They won the Atlantic last year, they had a record-breaking season from Auston Matthews, and they brought Toronto to relevance once again.

But just as good as that may be, it also comes with a fair share of disappointments but none more than their inability to actually keep guys they need to and it;s becoming a massive reason for their free-fall this year.

When Mitch Marner refused to waive his trade protection at the deadline last year, many thought that he was doing Toronto a disservice, though he may have been getting some bad advice on the side.

Whatever the case, Toronto didn't get nearly enough for him and instead of getting something done earlier; they brought in Nic Roy. Marner had so much value last summer and instead of sitting down immediately after the season and working out a plan for him, they waited until they couldn't.

He was traded this year and thank goodness they got a first-rounder for him or things would be a lot worse.

Then you have McMann, who is someone the team seriously didn't give nearly enough credit for. He scored you basically 40 goals the last two seasons, added legitimately top-five speed, was a physical beast and only 29.

Was he a late bloomer? Sure, but it's not like this was a guy you had no idea about. You scouted him from Colgate, brought him up through the ECHL and AHL, and he gave you exactly what you wanted.

The reward? A trip to Seattle to play with the Kraken. He just wanted a pay raise from his dirt-cheap $1.35-million deal and Toronto was too scared to give him that. It's Zach Hyman all over again — watch McMann score 50 next year.

Finally we come to arguably the worst trade Toronto has made in the Auston Matthews era when the Maple Leafs added Fraser Minten into the deal for Brandon Carlo

It stunned fans and media and for good reason. He had just gotten into the lineup and was a shoe-in to play in the bottom-six for the rest of the year, then move into the top-six this year.

Instead, he was unceremoniously shipped to Boston where he's done nothing but exceed expectations. He was Rookie of the Month, is playing first-line minutes alongside David Pastrnak, and has the entire team and coaching staff gushing about what he can do.

Toronto relied so much on veteran talent and those who were 'experienced' at the NHL level, and it's a lesson they've failed time and time again. Instead of nurturing Minten and McMann or creating a better package for a departing superstar, they went with safe options instead.

The old adage is better to be safe than sorry, but for the Maple Leafs — they were too safe and now they're paying the price.

Instead of signing McMann to an extension and trusting that he can be part of the solution, the team banked on getting a big return for him only to settle for a middling return. He's going to thrive in Seattle and they had to do nothing to get him. Toronto did all the work and now the Kraken will benefit.

Marner was a tough sell because he seemingly was headed out regardless, but if the team had inklings he wasn't re-signing then they needed to really work at making a better deal for everyone. If Vegas was always the destination, then target multiple pieces and work it out; not just take what you can get.

Minten is just the saddest situation. This is a player who was a second-round pick who easily could have made the Maple Leafs lineup better for the next decade and a half. He was your John Tavares replacement, clearly wanted to be here, and is a heck of a talent at both ends of the ice.

They got rid of him for essentially a 6'5 pylon on skates, as Carlo has not shown any of the elite shutdown ability he had in Boston. It was an unabashed failure and Toronto needs to live with that decision for a long time.

In this cutthroat business of the NHL, there is no real reason to play it safe especially when that hasn't worked. You're never going to win a jackpot by betting both red and black because when that wheel lands on green double zero?

You're walking away a loser, like Toronto has for the last ten years.

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