Shanahan: Maple Leafs won't sacrifice future for help now
While recent trade rumors have the Toronto Maple Leafs linked to an upgrade on defense, the club certainly has its parameters set in regards to pending transactions.
Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan spoke with Sportsnet's Chris Johnston and explained that while the team is not immune to making trades to better itself, they will not jeopardize themselves by dealing part of their future core.
"Our vision’s not going to change, but the day-to-day blueprint has to change every day," Shanahan said. "Things happen to your team, things happen around the league, you have to be ready. So there really is no one way we’ve outlined we’re going to do this thing. If we have an opportunity to make ourselves better and it fits into what our vision is (we’ll do it). Our vision isn’t going to change. Our vision is to build a team that can sustain success over a long period of time.
"So does that mean we’re not going to make any trades? No, it doesn’t mean that. Does that mean we’re going to get a little taste of success and sacrifice years and years of our future to get something for today? No."
While the Maple Leafs currently hold down the all-too-familiar position of last place in the Eastern Conference for the time being, there is no question the team is in a better place than it was one season ago.
Rookies Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Nikita Zaitsev among others have reshaped the complexion of the club and produced a much more exciting on-ice product.
"I’m excited about the progress, but I think for all of us - players included - we know that this is just really the beginning of the work," said Shanahan.
Despite the long road ahead, a plan is clearly coming together, one the president feels will make the club a contender in time.
"We’re thinking about going out and trying to win every game we play," said Shanahan. "Wherever we are in our development, we're going to be constantly trying to, as a group, get better. I think what we try to do is really just focus on the process and focus on improving. We’re confident that we’ll be in the right place at the right time."