I like the forward setup you have but your defence is a trainwreck. How does Marchenko go from healthy scratch to top pairing? And Gardiner and Carrick are not that good together, at least not in a 2nd pairing setting. ZaitseVegas and Reilly is he best 1st pairing the Leafs have, if it wasn't then theyou would change it, but they can't so they won't. And Marincin should be in the minors not playing in the NHL.

I think Hyman looks really good next to Matthews and Nylander, getting him lots of pucks. I think with Leivo playing the way he is it might open the door to trading JVR for a defenseman. I'm not a Zaitsev fan, I think he is not very good at moving the puck, with poor passes. I think he can be a number 3/4 defenseman maybe, and that his biggest asset is that he is exempt from Vegas. And I know people hate on Polak and I know he has his flaws, but when there's only 45 seconds left in the game and we're defending a lead I love seeing the refrigerator on Ice in Polak head on there, he's a physical shot blocking defenseman that is our only defenseman that can move bodies out of the way. Marincin hasn't looked great this year. He'll have to wait for injuries to get some games in

Admitting the Leafs defence isn't the best, but looks like they will have to live with this group this year. Agree with LeafsFan about Polak, I think he has played well this year.
Besides the most offensive guys playing PP, in this case, Rielly, Gardiner and Zaitsev getting more minutes, when it's 5 on 5, the six Dmen play about equal minutes. Somehow by next October the Leafs need to upgrade the player of all Dmen and in some cases probably add better guys to have any chance of making/advancing in the playoffs.
Have to live with group till the end of June

Line can and will be made all the time depending on how players play and like the way you have put up the team. I have been waiting for the day where JVR and Matthes and Nylander are on the line together. My set up for leafs would look like, as of right now....
Leivo Kadri Brown, JVR Matthews Nylander, Hyman Bozak Marner, Komarov Gauthier Martin. As for D I still like the Relly Zaitsev combo but I do think Zaitsev would be better as 3/4 but for now that will have to do. Gardiner and Hunwick would be my second and Marincin with Polak is just okay.
As per my line up above although I have Komarav on the forth line I think he is expandable since Hyman would be taking his role on the 3rd line and they are very similar players. If thats the case the I would move Martin on the LW and have soshnikov up to be on the RW. Going forward leafs have great players down the middle and fantastic players on the RW but LW is something I would upgrade on for forwards and D of-course needs and upgrade.

I agree with the possibility of using the opportunity to move Jvr, hopefully for a mobile RHD who can play defense.... If they could move on from Bozak as well that would be even better IMO. I'm tired of these "veteran" players not playing any defense.

The Leafs D is already a train wreck, hence the juggle. What the Leafs have is three good D and then an assortment of players jockeying for position. Who plays with whom doesn't constitute a "top pair", it is only a left/right balance that Babcock seems to favor. Gardiner and Carrick may not be great but they've been on the ice for more goals for than against which can't be said for the others. Rielly and Zaitsev play a similar brand of hockey and are by no means a "top pair" and both have played well with Marincin because he plays a simple, defensive style. He has had some bad games but his good games are better than Polak and Hunwick. They are more consistent but not as good overall and their supporting numbers are far less superior than both Marincin and Marchenko.

It would be easy to blame the goals against squarely on Andersen but the D has to shoulder some of the blame. Just like Leivo not getting into action until recently, there are better options on the team that aren't currently playing.
I like Polak's game, especially on the penalty kill, but away from Hunwick, he hasn't been very good. They get hemmed in their own zone a lot when they are on the ice and their shot suppression numbers aren't good.

JVR has been invisible without Marner, as has Bozak. Leivo brings balance to the top 3 lines, with Marner back in the lineup,which they'll need if they want to do anything in the playoffs should they make it. With Leipsic and Kapenen on deck in the minors, JVR may very well get pushed out the door this off season.

Polak can hit and block shots but he struggles getting the puck out of the zone.