from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

Whatever Kyle Dubas manages to accomplish in the next three days, this much is evident: If his high-priced and soon to be high-priced talent doesn’t start producing anywhere close to their salaries and salary demands, the Maple Leafs will be easy and early fodder in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The National Hockey League trade deadline falls upon the hockey world on Monday afternoon. Maybe Dubas will pick up another part. Maybe he won’t. But what he needs more than trading for a depth defenceman or a checker who can outscore Par Lindholm or a grinding winger with a name similar to mine is for his big guns to start acting like big guns.

And start producing like big guns.

And not waiting to play catch-up in third periods too many nights.

This thought process may not be popular in Leafland, where worship trumps reality most days, but asking more of Auston Matthews, of John Tavares, of Mitch Marner, of William Nylander is absolutely necessary, at a time when home-ice advantage is almost stunningly slipping away from the Leafs.

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Highlights of Toronto's 3-2 loss to Washington can be watched below.