NHL Insider Shares Frustrating Update Regarding the Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs had several priorities this summer, which included extending John Tavares and Matthew Knies, as well as finding a replacement for Mitch Marner in the top-6.

General manager Brad Treliving was an extremely busy man once the off-season got underway. However, replacing Marner in the top-6 is much easier said than done, and there may be more hurdles than originally thought.

The Leafs reportedly kicked tires on players like Brock Boeser, John-Jason
Peterka, and Jordan Kyrou before July 1st, but once the free agent frenzy kicked off, things became radio silent in Toronto.

With Brad Treliving continuing to work the phones, one insider believes that it might be a lost cause since finding that top-6 forward in the summer might not come to pass.

Sportsnet's Chris Johnston relayed that bit of information on his "Chris Johnston Show" and added the caveat that Toronto just doesn't have the assets to make it work, considering their lack of draft capital and quality prospects outside of Easton Cowan and Ben Danford.

He also added that while players like Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Jared McCann are all viable names, the Leafs still might not have the right assets to make it work nor the desire to push all the chips in the table for them, as they're not exactly top-flight options.

With just a shade under $5 million in cap space to play with and only Nicholas Robertson left to sign, the Maple Leafs might walk into the season with cap space to burn, which would be very useful at the trade deadline.

Even if nothing comes to pass, the Leafs will still have a suitable NHL roster that can contend. However, they need Auston Matthews to return to MVP form, Tavares to have a repeat of last year's success, and the rest of the top-9 to chip in offensively at a consistent pace.