Recent mistake by the Maple Leafs comes back to bite them again

It's a somber Tuesday in Toronto as the Leafs have woken up in last place in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2015-16, the season before drafting Auston Matthews 1st overall.

The toughest part of the scenario may not be that the Leafs are in this position, but who put them there. Until last night, only the Columbus Blue Jackets sat below the Leafs in the East.

To add some salt to the wound, former Leaf Mason Marchment was the man who thrust the dagger into them, and he did it after the Leafs passed on bringing him back. How he did it certainly added insult to injury -- Marchment scored two power play goals, including the game winner, in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.

Marchment was recently acquired by the Blue Jackets, and the cost was such that the Leafs could have afforded to bring him in. Still, even though he fits the Craig Berube brand, Brad Treliving opted not to pounce. Marchment just showed why that was a mistake.

The Leafs' power play struggles have been well documented, and Marchment converting twice with the man advantage last night brings into question some of the decision-making in Toronto this season.

Granted, there's no guarantees that Marchment would have been utilized on the PP had the Leafs secured a deal for the 2nd generation NHLer. That's a fair argument. Still, he's a quality player who could have helped this team.

On the struggling power play, the Leafs opted to part ways with PP coach Marc Savard on Monday, and TSN's Pierre LeBrun has stated that they will not be replacing him externally. Tonight, we'll get our first look at the power play without Savard running it.

Marchment has scored 22 goals in each of the last two seasons. For a team like the Leafs, who are struggling to score goals this season, Marchment would have been an excellent addition. It's just a shame that they didn't pay the very reasonable price to acquire him.