from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

Most franchises just exist, in their own markets, within their own fan base, in their own quiet way, but it seems so much of the hockey world is engaged and rather obsessed with what is right and what is wrong and what is next for the Maple Leafs.

The Leafs spend more than other teams on their operations. They overpay their players. They coddle them. They provide them with layers of support. They have more middle management with titles than almost any team in hockey. And they get more coverage, locally, nationally, especially on the two sports networks in Canada, than anyone else in the game.

So they are liked and loved and loathed by those who work in and around the game — and they are watched and studied, like it’s the latest release from Amazon, and by the way, there is a documentary coming out this season, one of the really dumb ideas to be part of for a team that doesn’t need any more dumb ideas.

This is the time of year to scream. This is another body blow to the solar plexus. And this is complicated, which makes it all the more confusing.

Normally, you look at the upper management of the team and wonder who pays the price for the latest Leafs failure. Isn’t that how it usually works? That’s what hockey people want to know.

Who’s getting fired and who’s getting traded and whose contracts aren’t being renewed?

more