Who are these Maple Leafs trying to be? Not even they seem to know

Toronto Star · Damien Cox · 2026-11-06 10:00 UTC

Having a clear direction is beneficial for any NHL team. The Maple Leafs don't have that right now, writes Damien Cox.

Watching the last-place Canucks play at home in Vancouver from the upper bowl the other night, the absence of angst in the building was noticeable.

That’s probably because that’s a hockey team and a fan base that knows precisely where it stands at the moment.

The Canucks have hit rock bottom. Quinn Hughes is long gone. Without much on-ice excellence to sell at the moment, the Canucks are emphasizing the spectacular diversity of their base — this game included a Diwali celebration, which was colourful and fun — and their history. It seems like forever ago when players like Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Roberto Luongo, Mattias Öhlund and Markus Näslund starred in Vancouver, but the memories remain and they are warm ones.

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