The Toronto Maple Leafs got off to a strong start this season with a 10-4-0 record. Their offense, led by Phil Kessel, was dominating the league and goaltenders James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier were an effective duo.
So far, it looks like Toronto peaked in October. By Dec. 18, Toronto had slipped to 17-16-3 and had just a three point edge in the battle for the second Wild Card spot. That naturally led to speculation about head coach Randy Carlyle’s job security, but Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis insisted that he wouldn’t fire the bench boss.
Fast forward a month and the Maple Leafs remain stuck in the mud and they’ve lost their Wild Card spot. However, even as Toronto’s situation gets bleaker, Nonis hasn’t changed his stance.
“Randy’s job is not in jeopardy,” said Nonis, according to the Toronto Star. “It’s the players who have to play better, and they know that. The biggest piece in all of this is the players, collectively. This is not a bad hockey team.”
Instead, Nonis is looking to shake things up via a trade. He’s already made some moves in that regard, including the acquisition of 22-year-old Peter Holland from Anaheim and a trade involving defensemen Tim Gleason and John-Michael Liles.
In the meantime, he added that Friday’s 3-2 loss to Washington was their best game in roughly two months. They’ll play New Jersey tonight.
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