The Leafs have won one playoff series in the ‘Core Four’ era, which began in the fall of 2016.
Following their opening-round series loss to the Boston Bruins in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ ‘Core Four’ has faced significant scrutiny over the past two months. Though the Leafs addressed their defensive needs and confirmed their new-look goaltending tandem in NHL free agency, the fate of the Core Four, consisting of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares, has still yet to be fully confirmed.
While all indications suggest the club will “run it back,” this decision has not been universally well-received among Leafs Nation. However, during Thursday’s Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Carter Hutton, former Maple Leafs netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere expressed his admiration for the forwards.
Giguere, who played for the Leafs for parts of two seasons from 2009-2011, went as far as saying, “I’d love to play for that Core Four. I think they’re very talented; they can score a lot of goals, that we know, and they can play well,” Giguere exclaimed.
Immediately following the Leafs’ Game 7 overtime loss to the Bruins, Nylander had similar sentiments attributed to the group, stating, “Look, I don’t think there’s an issue with the core. I think we were f****ng right there all series, battled hard and I mean, got to game seven and OT. That's a s***ty feeling,” before adding, “I know that we have an incredible group here. And I know that we have been battling years together, and I think taking great steps.”
Giguere's respect for the Core Four's talent is evident, but he emphasized that talent alone isn’t enough to secure a Stanley Cup. He believes the team needs to build around these key players to create a formidable roster capable of making a deep playoff run.
“I don’t think they are that far from a team that can compete in the NHL. I think if they put some meat around that Core Four, they can do some damage in the playoffs,” said Giguere.
“At the end of the day, they have to stick together. They have to make sure that they are the leaders of that team. They’ll go as far as they want to go. They need to make sure that they are in it for the right reason and are in it to go all the way.”
And he’s right. Realistically, if this core stays intact, the Leafs will likely go as far as those four players will take them. As a Conn Smythe Trophy Winner (2003) in a Stanley Cup Final his team lost, and a 2007 Stanley Cup champion with the Anaheim Ducks, Giguere knows a thing or two about winning. His words highlight that this group of forwards are no longer promising young stars, but instead, experienced players who can no longer use inexperience as an excuse.
“From day one of training camp, you aren’t thinking about training camp, you aren’t thinking about the regular season or how many points you are going to get, you are thinking Stanley Cup from the beginning,” Giguere said. “If there is no doubt in their head, as far as the Core Four, then there will be no doubt in the dressing room as well. They are no longer young guys, they are veterans, and they know what it takes to win.”
Even with a decision to at least attempt to juggle the pieces around, it’s been challenging to jump through the hurdles of no-movement clauses for any significant change. The Core Four seems destined to return in 2024-25 with the hope of recurring results and a track record of playoff failure since the fall of 2016, coming to an end.
