There’s been chatter in Toronto that maybe this isn’t the year for the Maple Leafs.

That this particular team, good but not great, is too flawed to seriously contend for the Stanley Cup and is therefore not worth mortgaging the future on, especially when it comes to dealing more first-round picks.

I would argue the opposite. Team president Brendan Shanahan and GM Brad Treliving can’t stand pat and shouldn’t rule much of anything out to improve the roster ahead of the March 8 NHL trade deadline.

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