Not buying a long rebuild for Maple Leafs

Lou Lamoriello managed the New Jersey Devils with such a high level of effectiveness that it is unnatural to see him managing expectations in his new role as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager.

Both Lamoriello and new Toronto coach Mike Babcock use the word “pain” to describe what fans will endure as the two join forces with team President Brendan Shanahan’s crew to rebuild the Maple Leafs. No one is predicting how long it will take, but the implication is it will be a multiple-season project.

However, it is difficult to believe that either Babcock or Lamoriello expects it to take that long.

These guys are too proud, too effective and they hate losing too much to accept the notion that this needs to be a five-year plan.

Clearly the Maple Leafs aren’t going to win the Stanley Cup during the next two seasons, but no one who knows Lamoriello’s or Babcock’s history would be surprised if the Maple Leafs are competing for a playoff spot in 2016-17.

The Maple Leafs’ rebuilding efforts are further along than anyone cares to admit.

Granted, this season is supposed to be ugly. It’s almost as if everyone is counting on the Maple Leafs being among the NHL’s worst teams. There’s less reason to tank because the NHL draft lottery rules have changed and the worst team is now only guaranteed the No. 4 pick. But if the Maple Leafs are among the worst teams, they will land another quality prospect.

That would be good enough, because the Maple Leafs already have three quality forward prospects in the queue waiting for their opportunity.

Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander are both 19-year-old sons of former NHL players and first-round picks who should be ready to contribute significantly in two seasons.

The Maple Leafs also have 2015 draft pick Mitch Marner, who has the potential to be a Patrick Kane-type impact player. He’s 18. Let’s not forget that defenseman Morgan Reilly, a noteworthy Maple Leafs player, is only 21

Nazem Kadri is 24, and the Maple Leafs can decide this season whether he can be the player they want him to be. If he is, he becomes a key part of the rebuilding effort. He will be entering his prime seasons when the Maple Leafs begin to hit their stride with their new group.

If they decide Kadri is not the player they want him to be, they will get a strong return for him. Not everyone is sold on Kadri’s personality or attitude, but it’s clear he can be, at a minimum, a 50-point center.

Unquestionably, a team needing a lift at center would give up a touted prospect and draft pick to get him. Whether the trade Kadri or keep him, he is important to their rebuilding plans.

Goalie Jonathan Bernier is 27, and he could still be part of this rebuilding plan. The Maple Leafs have been a porous defensive team in most of the games he has played in Toronto, and yet he owns a .918 save percentage in a Maple Leafs jersey.

James van Riemsdyk is 26, and he has scored 75 goals over the past three seasons in Toronto. It’s impressive in today’s NHL to average 25 goals over three seasons. It’s not as if the Maple Leafs roster is void of talent.

Veterans Dion Phaneuf and others players won’t be with the rebuilt Maple Leafs, but they will be turned into a player or players who will be on the roster.

The point is that the Maple Leafs situation isn’t as bleak as picture that is being painted. In fact, you can make a case that because of the Shanahan-Lamoriello-Babcock triumvirate, there is more reason for Leafs optimism than there has been in years.

Lamoriello has a long history of being able to observe his team and know exactly what needs to be fixed. He can pinpoint problems before they occur. He treats players with respect, and they want to perform for him.

Plus, don’t undersell Babcock’s ability to make his team better. In fact, he might get in the way of the rebuilding plan this season because he might be able to make the Maple Leafs 12, 14 or 16 points better than they should be, resulting in a worse draft position.

His finest coaching effort might have come two seasons ago when the Detroit Red Wings were beaten up by injuries and he guided a patchwork team into the playoffs to keep Detroit’s postseason qualification streak alive.

The bottom line is Shanahan, Lamoriello and Babcock won’t let this renovation project stretch on forever. They know the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins both rebuilt into their teams into contenders in three seasons. The Maple Leafs will be in the playoff hunt in 2016-17 and then climb the ladder from there.

There will be some pain, but it won’t be chronic pain.