The Toronto Maple Leafs made two blockbuster trades, and signed several free agents.
Overall, it’s hard not to like the direction the Leafs are going.
They’ve filled in holes – adding Alex Kerfoot to be a strong defensive presence they were missing among their forwards, and Tyson Barrie as the elite right-handed defenseman they lacked.
They also added a lot of depth, in Nick Shore, Jason Spezza and Garrett Wilson (among others).
But the question of if they are a better team always rested on Jake Gardiner.
Toronto Maple Leafs Lost Gardiner
The Leafs are deeper, and they are more balanced.