Maple Leafs' depressing offseason power ranking shows harsh reality for Toronto

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of work to do.

They've still got to make the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (presumably Gavin McKenna, but still a choice that hasn't officially been made). They've still got to hire a head coach. They've still got to figure out what to do with Auston Matthews trade rumors or contract discussions.

And that's all coming off the back of a season which saw them finish with the fifth-worst record in the NHL.

The assumption is that the Leafs will bounce right back and be back in the hunt, especially if they add someone like McKenna to the roster.

But the latest NHL power rankings put out by ESPN paint a harsher picture -- that's not a given.

ESPN ranks the Maple Leafs as the No. 28 team in the NHL in the rankings put out on Monday.

"The Maple Leafs have a new GM in John Chayka and a new incoming head coach yet to be named, but those aren't even top-two headlines for the Leafs this summer," ESPN writes as part of the non-bylined story. "They landed the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery -- and appear poised to select Gavin McKenna -- while franchise center Auston Matthews has been the subject of ongoing trade rumors."

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The Maple Leafs have plenty of trade speculation swirling beyond just Matthews, too.

The defenseman Morgan Rielly seems like a probable trade candidate.

If the Leafs are doing something more bold, maybe Matthew Knies gets moved, as well.

It's hard to totally assess them until they make all their offseason moves. But there'll be a lot of doubters until they actually take to the ice for a new season and look like an improved team.