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It’s Toronto Maple Leafs day on PHT

Randy Carlyle

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle, back center, looks over his players while playing against the St. Louis Blues during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Tuesday, March 25, 2014. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

AP

Throughout the month of August, PHT will be dedicating a day to all 30 NHL clubs. Today’s team? The Toronto Maple Leafs.

For better or worse, the Toronto Maple Leafs rarely have been boring.

The short version of the 2013-14 season was a lot like the last: what started with promise (and maybe a few rather lucky breaks) ended in a stunning collapse. This time around, they didn’t even make the playoffs, as the Maple Leafs lost 12 of their last 14 games as they spiraled out of the playoff picture.

One might say that the advanced stats community laughed the Maple Leafs’ way out of the postseason - at least the more vindictive among that community - but the narrative took a surprise twist as Toronto eventually hired some of those howling critics.

While the executive structure of the franchise remains in flux, the Brendan Shanahan era seems to have begun with some surprising changes, even if head coach Randy Carlyle remains ... at least for now.

Last season, it seemed like the onus was on Toronto’s two stars who were seemingly about to enter contract years in Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf. Those two are back and will remain on the hot seat like usual, yet the people who run the team will likely feel the heat more than anyone in 2014-15.

That’s not to say there aren’t quite a few players with quite a lot on the line next season, though. James Reimer may very well push Jonathan Bernier for starts even after he seemed like he was out the door. Players like Bernier, Nazem Kadri, Cody Franson and even new additions like David Booth have a chance to earn (or lose) a lot of money this season.

It’s a stretch to say that the “nerds won” in Toronto, but a transition seems to be happening -- or at least is being considered. That’s a big reason why the Leafs should be fascinating to watch next season. As usual.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins