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[Toronto Maple Leafs]

‘The failures here start with me’: Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving takes accountability for poor season at trade deadline

The NHL trade deadline looks a lot different for the Toronto Maple Leafs this year.

On track to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade, general manager Brad Treliving opted to sell off pieces to recoup draft capital. Speaking to media in the wake of Friday’s deadline, Treliving took accountability for this miserable year, but said a full examination of the team’s issues is still to come.

“I don’t look at today as the autopsy day…but I think there’s a whole host of reasons,” Treliving said of Toronto’s current position. “I will take responsibility, the failures here start with me. Once we get through the end of the season, there will be all sorts of evaluation. We got off to a poor start. I look from my standpoint at some roster construction issues, lack of consistency, the inability to maintain any kind of level. There’s been a whole bunch of factors, but we’ll get to that in due course.”

Leading up to the deadline, there was speculation about whether the Leafs would commit to being sellers, or if corporate pressures would force them to keep the potential of a playoff run on the table. Ultimately, Treliving said the decision was made “a while ago” to work to recoup picks or prospects at this year’s deadline. Though the ability to do so in practice was impeded somewhat by market factors.

“This team for a number of years has been adding at this time of the year and today was a day to try to regain some assets,” Treliving said. “At the end of the day, we were trying to be as active as we could to obtain and acquire as many young assets as we could. We were able to do what we were able to do.”

One trade that will certainly mark Treliving’s legacy is the exchange of Scott Laughton for a conditional third-round pick. Namely, because just a year ago, Treliving dealt a first-round pick and Nikita Grebenkin to bring Laughton in. Treliving acknowledged the discrepancy, but attributed it to fluctuations in what was available.

“That’s the market,” Treliving said. “I can’t speak highly enough about Scott Laughton. Not only his play, but he’s as quality a person as you can find. I’ll be the first to say, last year we paid a first and a young player in (Grebenkin) for him. … We communicated with everybody, and ultimately the market dictates. And that’s where it fell here for Scott today.”

Laughton was scratched this week, along with Bobby McMann and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, for “roster management,” purposes. McMann was dealt to the Seattle Kraken on Friday, but Oliver Ekman-Larsson remains in Toronto. Treliving said he heard offers on the veteran defenceman, but didn’t feel they were on par with his value.

“There was some interest in Oliver,” Treliving shared. “With term left on his contract we required a return that I thought would be fair, and nobody met that level.”

After this year, Ekman-Larsson has two more seasons left on his contract, with an annual cap hit of $3.5 million. He leads all Leafs defencemen this season with eight goals and 35 points.

PRESENTED BY THE DAILY FACEOFF TRADE DEADLINE SPECIAL​

The 2026 Trade Deadline Special is going LIVE March 6th. Join the Daily Faceoff crew on Friday, March 6th, from 11 AM-3:30 PM ET for wall-to-wall coverage of every single move as it happens. Get instant reaction, expert analysis, and exclusive insights from special guests throughout the day. Tune in LIVE on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and don’t miss a second of deadline day chaos.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/failures-start-me-toronto-maple-leafs-treliving-trade-deadline

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

After initial step in the right direction, Maple Leafs take two steps back at NHL Trade Deadline

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving entered this year’s NHL Trade Deadline in an unenviable position. Of course, this is largely a consequence of his own making. As the Maple Leafs slumped out of playoff contention, it became abundantly clear that the team ought to be positioned as sellers, with the idea of re-tooling. Treliving and the MLSE brass appeared to be the last ones to realize that the 2025-26 Maple Leafs campaign was a lost cause. There is no place worse than the mushy middle and after an initial step in the right direction, the Maple Leafs took two steps back, descending into the dreaded no man’s land.

Treliving traded Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, in exchange for a 2027 conditional first-round pick and 2026 conditional fifth-round pick. It’s a top-10 protected pick, and no one expects the vaunted Avalanche to fall off anytime soon. This could be celebrated as a step in the right direction, although critics will point out that Roy was acquired in a last-second trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, preventing the Maple Leafs from walking away from the Mitch Marner era completely empty-handed. Roy didn’t fit into Craig Berube’s system, and he’s a more useful player for the contending Avalanche, than he is for a Maple Leafs team stuck in flux.

If this were the only move Treliving made, the deadline would be incomplete. Would that be preferable to the sum of Friday’s moves? Bobby McMann was traded to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick and 2027 second-round pick. McMann was widely considered one of the best available unrestricted free agents this summer and possesses blazing straight-line speed. Toronto was expected to recoup a first-round pick for McMann. By itself, it wasn’t the worst return, as the Maple Leafs continued to accrue draft capital. Considering that McMann was on the verge of signing an extension with the Maple Leafs, it read as if Treliving scrambled to find the bare minimum.

“I’ll take responsibility,” Treliving told reporters at the Ford Performance Centre following Friday’s deadline. “We met earlier in the year, through about the 20-game mark, when we got off to a slow start. The failures here start with me. Once we get through the end of the season, there will be all sorts of evaluation. To start parsing through it right now, we’ve got games to play. We got off to a poor start. I look from my standpoint, some roster construction issues. lack of consistency. The ability to maintain any kind of level, there’s been a whole bunch of factors. We’ll get to that in due course.”

The most egregious deal came just before the clock expired: Scott Laughton was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a conditional third-round pick. Laughton was acquired at last year’s deadline in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick and forward Nikita Grebenkin. This was terrible asset management from Treliving, even if the 31-year-old has more value on a playoff team. Laughton wanted to remain with the Maple Leafs, he was the team’s best penalty killer, universally liked by his teammates. Considering last year’s acquisition cost, and the fact that Berube never played Laughton anywhere but fourth-line centre this year, the Leafs took two steps back with the McMann and Laughton trades, respectively.

Toronto appears to be stuck in the middle, ahead of the 2025-26 season. Although the team will be weakened in the short-term with three roster players on the move, the Maple Leafs almost certainly won’t be porous enough to stagger into the bottom five. Toronto’s first-round pick, of course, belongs to the Boston Bruins after the Brandon Carlo-Fraser Minten trade, another deal that looks horrific a year later, even if the thinking to go all-in was considered to be reasonable. What’s becoming abundantly clear is that even if Treliving understands which way the team is trending, he still routinely gets fleeced in trades, or can’t assess correct market value before his peers do.

“This team for a number of years has been adding at this time of the year and today was a day to try to regain some assets,” Treliving said. “At the end of the day, we were trying to be as active as we could to obtain and acquire as many young assets as we could. We were able to do what we were able to do.”

Are the Maple Leafs positioned to be flexible for the foreseeable future? The prevailing logic is that a team led by Auston Matthews and William Nylander is still too talented to bottom out. Let this season be an exercise in hubris, then. Montreal and Buffalo are poised to rule the division for the foreseeable future, Tampa Bay is making another concerted push, Detroit improved at the deadline, while Boston is ahead of Toronto in its retooling stage, aided by last year’s deadline deal. Only the Ottawa Senators share an equally bleak outlook, and they have a much younger core to build around. It was an unenviable position to be in, but under Treliving’s supervision, the Maple Leafs took one step forward and two steps back at the deadline.

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY​

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about—it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/aft...maple-leafs-two-steps-back-nhl-trade-deadline

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews following trade deadline: ‘We have to take responsibility’

The NHL Trade Deadline is now over, and the Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in a seller’s position, trading Nicolas Roy, Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton. Seeing teammates and friends leave can be one of the harshest realities in the sport, as for some, they have played together for multiple years, developing bonds that are sometimes hard to put into words.

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews reflected on the deadline, following Saturday’s morning skate.

“It’s always tough. Every year, you’re going to lose guys. Obviously, this year is a little bit different,” Matthews said following the team’s morning skate. “We lost some great people, great teammates and obviously great players. “I think it’s always tough, but you got to keep pushing forward.”

With 19 games remaining, the Maple Leafs are in a spot they haven’t been in for the better part of the decade. Currently holding a nine-year playoff streak, the games in the season’s final two months will feel a lot different for fans as the Maple Leafs appear to be playing out the string.

“I think each night, just taking it one game at a time, making sure that we are ready to compete each night, having fun and putting in an effort that we can be proud of,” Matthews said. “I think it’s something we owe to each other and owe to the fans that come watch us play.”

Staring down the Maple Leafs following the trade deadline is the Tampa Bay Lightning, who currently hold the top spot in the Atlantic Division. If the Maple Leafs are going to break the six-game losing streak, it’s going to come against a NHL powerhouse.

“I think the energy in this room has been good. Obviously, we’re trying to get off this slide, and it’s a good opportunity to play against a really good team in our division,” Matthews said. “It’s going to take all 20 guys, it’s going to take a full 60-minutes and we’re going to have to compete throughout the whole game.”

Matthews has recorded 26 goals and 26 assists in 57 games, but is currently mired in a 10-game goalless drought. Toronto’s captain spoke about his recent form, and explained why he’s optimistic that pucks will start going in imminently.

“The opportunities have been there, and I know one’s going to go in and I’ll start to gain momentum,” Matthews said. “Definitely over the last couple of games, there’s been a lot of good opportunities and chances. We’ve had the puck a lot more on the offensive side, so it’s all good.”

Matthews pushed towards accountability, as the Maple Leafs are uncharted territory for the first time in his career.

“It’s never fun losing and being in this position, but we have to take responsibility,” Matthews said. “It’s obviously on the players, and you kind of lay in the bed you make, so for us it’s tough. It’s never a good time, but we can only control what’s in front of us now, whether it’s our attitude or compete level. Tonight’s game, we’re trying to get back on the right track, win some games and get a good feeling back in the locker room.”

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/tor...trade-deadline-we-have-to-take-responsibility

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Lightning provide bleak reminder to Leafs of what they could have become

Considering that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are heading into diametrically opposite directions, it’s worth taking account of the past decade. The debris and detritus cleared from the NHL Trade Deadline, as the Maple Leafs were positioned as sellers, entering uncharted territory. In stark contrast, the Lightning waited patiently, positioned for a genuine pursuit of a third Stanley Cup and fifth Final appearance under the tutelage of head coach Jon Cooper.

Throughout the day, the Lightning provided a bleak reminder to the Maple Leafs of what they could have become. This notion was only further punctuated during a 5-2 beatdown, where the Maple Leafs wilted during the first period and were booed off the ice by the fans who carried the appetite to stomach all three periods.

Toronto and Tampa Bay’s core are age-related peers, and it’s haunting to see how the individual legacies of the core players have evolved. Victor Hedman was selected one pick after John Tavares, and now has the luxury of operating on the Lightning’s third pair. Nikita Kucherov put on another passing clinic, generating four assists. Auston Matthews, by contrast, fumbled the puck behind his net which directly led to the Lightning’s third goal. Brayden Point and William Nylander were both selected in the 2014 NHL Draft, and Tampa Bay’s star centre may have the superior career. He certainly had the superior evening, in a two-assist showing. Kucherov, Hedman, Point, Ryan McDonagh (who scored the game-tying goal, banking a bad angle shot off Jake McCabe’s skate and in) and Andrei Vasilevskiy are the nucleus of a team that emerged as a salary-cap era dynasty, and appear to be headed for one more Cup run.

Kucherov, Hedman and Vasilevskiy will all be headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Corey Perry, who was acquired at the deadline, will be eventually be enshrined alongside his teammates as well. Aside from Matthews, can the same be said of the Maple Leafs, given that they’ve been defined by profound failure over this past decade?

As for Saturday’s proceedings, Cooper easily outfoxed Craig Berube, who seems completely out of answers. Berube took the ice before conducting a nonchalant practice, in which the Leafs ran a disconnected scrimmage. Cooper ran his practice with precision, and held court with a throng of reporters before the game, generously assessing the opponent in front of him. Berube was outmatched throughout the game, while Cooper made smart adjustments. During Tampa Bay’s second goal, the Kucherov line easily took advantage of Toronto’s fourth line, centred by rookie Jacob Quillan, as Jake Guentzel broke free in the slot.

“This is probably gonna be a one-off for them because they’ve got a good group,” Cooper said post-game via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.

It may only be a one-off if Berube is dismissed. He was brought in to turn a high-octane offensive team into a more defensively sound team, and hasn’t fulfilled this mandate at all. Cooper, on the other hand, is the consensus best coach in hockey and has extracted the most value from his roster. It may start with the players, but the Lightning’s superior coaching provides a stark reminder of what this Leafs’ core could’ve become.

Lightning are a far superior team in every aspect (especially coaching, where it's pronounced tonight) but the Leafs still have to maintain some professional standards during this final stretch. Brutal defensive zone coverage, the captain routinely dispossessed, it's all bad.

— Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) March 8, 2026

A decade in professional sports is taxing. It’s worth considering that the Maple Leafs started their run of consecutive playoff appearances during the 2016-17 campaign, arriving ahead of schedule before a first-round loss to the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay missed the playoffs that year, after going to the conference finals the previous year. It has strung eight consecutive playoff appearances since. During its dynastic years, the Lightning dealt with the fruits of winning, leading to the exodus of Steven Stamkos and Mikhail Sergachev. And now it is operating in its third iteration under Cooper, while sitting atop the Atlantic Division, 17 points ahead of the Maple Leafs.

This is what the Maple Leafs uber-talented core could have graduated into. Cooper is a superior head coach to any bench boss the Leafs used, although Mike Babcock was ostensibly brought in for his pedigree. Vasilevskiy is the best goaltender of his era, there’s no argument there. And yet, considering that the Maple Leafs defeated the Lightning in 2023, which in retrospect, constituted their best chance at a Stanley Cup, along with the fact their cores are indeed peers, many of whom grew up playing against each other, it’s hard not to wonder what the Leafs could have turned into. No one is going to feel sorry for a franchise with the institutional resources the Leafs possess, but the Lightning provide a firm reminder of how life could’ve been, with better breaks and real playoff success.

Toronto’s contention window is closing in real-time. If it were a smart organization, it would perhaps draw parallels to Tampa Bay’s lost season in 2016-17 and take cues from the divisional power on how to re-tool effectively. It’s uncharted territory for this Maple Leafs, and their rivals provided a mirror into the spoils of victory that they were once ordained for.

CHECK OUT OFF THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY​

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about—it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/lightning-bleak-reminder-toronto-maple-leafs-what-they-could-become

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Nick Robertson’s 2025-26 home stretch will determine his future with Maple Leafs

With general manager Brad Treliving selling off some assets at the trade deadline, it’s opened up an opportunity for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson to receive consistent playing time the rest of this season. Now, it’s on Robertson to take advantage of it, his future as a Maple Leaf depends on it.

Robertson’s been in a constant battle to find a solidified role since he was drafted in 2019. This season’s been the exact same story in Craig Berube’s second season behind the Leafs’ bench. With Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Nicolas Roy moved out, the door is now wide open for the 24-year-old to take advantage.

In the Leafs first action post trade deadline, Berube used Robertson on the third line Saturday night against Tampa Bay, and played him 15:08, almost three minutes more than his season average. He scored a late goal on a strong-effort play, his 13th of the season. It’s obvious there’s more ice time available now for Robertson, and in these last 18 games, he’ll need to prove to Berube and Treliving he’s capable of consistently producing, and impacting the game in all three zones.

Robertson’s a pending restricted free agent and with offseason disputes the past two summers, the first being a trade request that wasn’t considered, and last season with not being offered a long-term contract, his relationship with the organization hasn’t necessarily been a perfect marriage. Having a strong end to the season can help overcome these imperfections, and land Robertson a three, or four-year contract extension to stay in Toronto.

What’s likely been the most frustrating part for Robertson over the past couple of years is how much he’s changed his game, and hasn’t necessarily been rewarded for it. Berube’s pushed the pesky winger arguably more than any other forward on the Leafs, and Robertson’s gone from a very one-dimensional prospect, to an undersized winger, who isn’t afraid to play a physical game, using his strong work ethic in a much more efficient way. Robertson’s natural abilities to shoot the puck are among the team’s best, but one area he needs to continue to work on is his playmaking abilities.

Playing with consistent linemates and being giving time to generate some chemistry does wonders in this area, and this season, Robertson’s been all over the lineup, and Berube hasn’t done a good enough job keeping trio’s together to build momentum. Yes, when they’re losing, Berube must make changes, but it’s also on the coach as well, as he hasn’t done a good enough job this season with constructing his lineup.

Despite the inconsistent role, Robertson’s on pace for a career season in almost every category. The underlying issue here could be the fact the Leafs have several similar-sized wingers in Maccelli, Robertson, and Cowan, and only a couple spots available in the top six. Roster changes are coming this offseason, and a big focus should be diversifying. The Leafs will have a tough decision to make on both Maccelli and Robertson as RFA’s, and don’t be surprised if only one of these two are back in Toronto’s lineup next season.

Treliving needs to find another right-handed shot top-six winger to play behind William Nylander, and they need to add two defencemen who bring more offensive punch from the back end. So, while Robertson could go on a heater the rest of the season with a bigger role, there’s certainly a chance he’s moved this summer to help balance out the Maple Leafs’ lineup.

Regardless of what’s to come this offseason, Robertson is solely focused on finishing this year strong. He’ll be looking to land a long-term contract extension this summer, and may have to come to the realization that it may not be as a Maple Leaf. For now, he’ll look to continue to impress Berube with his work ethic and secondary scoring, and it’s on the coaching staff to ensure he’s properly rewarded. Needless to say, the imperfect relationship between player and organization continues.

PRESENTED BY THE DAILY FACEOFF TRADE DEADLINE SPECIAL​

The 2026 Trade Deadline Special is going LIVE March 6th. Join the Daily Faceoff crew on Friday, March 6th, from 11 AM-3:30 PM ET for wall-to-wall coverage of every single move as it happens. Get instant reaction, expert analysis, and exclusive insights from special guests throughout the day. Tune in LIVE on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and don’t miss a second of deadline day chaos.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/nic...-stretch-determine-future-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Finding reasons to tune into the remaining Maple Leafs games

The weather outside is improving. Blue Jays baseball is back in exhibition form. The first F1 race of the season created some optimism for more entertaining races this year. Why watch the Toronto Maple Leafs? With 18 games remaining, here’s a look at a few of the storylines to still care about.

The kids​

The time has never been more right for giving Easton Cowan a bigger role. The Leafs (checks notes) did the right thing and gave the rookie 15 minutes against the Lightning, and 15 minutes now seems like the bare minimum for a player who ideally is a big part of the franchise getting back on track.

His minutes need to get tougher and head into 2026-27 prepared to face top line competition or give the Maple Leafs an understanding of how far away he is from being able to handle that and give him a meaningful development plan for the summer.

Jacob Quillan being a part of the Maple Leafs for the remainder of the season is also the right call unless he clearly isn’t an NHLer in the eyes of the Maple Leafs brass.

Quillan’s situation isn’t the same as Cowan’s and there is no need to find him significant minutes, but seeing if he has anything to add to the penalty kill might be one area of exploration the Maple Leafs want to test. Throwing him into the deep end is somewhat required given his pending free agent status and while qualifying him seems likely, knowing if he’s penciled in as the Leafs fourth line centre or 13th forward next season vs. coming to camp next season and having to play his way onto the roster are two very different things.

To qualify or not to qualify​

In addition to Quillan the Maple Leafs have Matias Maccelli, Nick Robertson, Henry Thrun, and William Villeneuve that they will need to figure out.

Maccelli seems to be developing some strong chemistry with William Nylander but having success with Nylander is very different from being able to do things on your own and the Maple Leafs should want that from a top six forward. Qualifying Maccelli also comes at high price as his actual salary for 2025-26 is $4.25M and the idea of Maccelli coming with that high a cap hit might not sit right even if he has been producing.

Nick Robertson would be cheaper to re-sign but his inconsistency and not bringing much to the table when he’s not producing makes him a question mark about continuing on with the Maple Leafs. The Leafs need to make significant changes in their lineup and Robertson taking up space in the roster means he too should be making his case for remaining a Maple Leaf in the coming games.

Henry Thrun and William Villeneuve need to get their looks in the remaining schedule as well. The Maple Leafs bringing back Villeneuve seems likely but that is still largely based off a strong 2024-25 and still remaining a mystery box when it comes to what he’d look like in the NHL. Given that the season is essentially over for the Leafs, finding out what the Leafs have in Villeneuve makes more sense than being reminded of Philippe Myers shortcomings.

Tank for the lottery or push to make the Bruins pick worse​

Will the Maple Leafs play for pride and try to push their draft pick out of the top 10 or will the Leafs see if they can plummet into the bottom five of the league and be able to use their 2026 1st after all.

The Maple Leafs are just three points away from finding themselves with the sixth-worst record in the league, but it will take a significant run from a bad team to make up the eight point advantage the Leafs have over the teams presently sitting in the bottom five. Of course, if the Leafs stay bad they have a better chance of winning the draft lottery as well and that could be the play.

Reality is that players aren’t going to be given the directive to tank and they will be playing to win even if the effort is questionable at times. Brad Treliving could help the tank along with bringing in a few Marlies for looks and Craig Berube could help with balancing the ice time rather than leaning on stars, but both of them need to make cases for keeping their jobs and tanking probably doesn’t do that.

The Bruins will be getting a great pick for Brandon Carlo. You don’t need to make your peace with that but understand it is the most likely outcome.

Potentially find out how much coaching was the issue​

If the Maple Leafs were to decide to let Craig Berube go early (unlikely at this point), there might be a few worthwhile experiments that can occur in the limited time Toronto would be playing under a new coach.

Mainly, how much was Berube’s approach to blame for the decline in players like Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly. Would either player see their numbers improve under a new coach after two years of declining results or do the Leafs have to accept that they are exciting their prime?

Give Stolarz a long look​

Dennis Hildeby is on the rise and while continuing to have three good goaltenders next season wouldn’t be the worst outcome for Toronto, eventually this team will need to trade some assets to upgrade pressing areas of need. Goaltending might be an area of strength that the Leafs need to deal from and some strong games from Stolarz that bring his numbers back up might help.

It’s still something to do​

Honestly, even if it is background noise people are still going to tune into the Maple Leafs. Maybe there will be a flood of more reasonably priced tickets for home games which will create an opportunity for a chance to see a game in person without taking out a mortgage.

Watching the Leafs might not be a priority but there will be other curious moments like giving Benoit-Olivier Groulx a cup of coffee or potentially bizarre experiments like Dakota Joshua on the top line which will be worth a look for a period or two.

The main thing to avoid will be season effects. As the Maple Leafs run out their season they might start picking up a few more wins courtesy of playoff bound teams managing their stars and goaltenders differently to rest them up and avoid injury. Results in the remaining games improving don’t mean the Leafs are improving and they will still be a full time job for the Hockey Operations staff throughout the offseason.

PRESENTED BY THE DAILY FACEOFF TRADE DEADLINE SPECIAL​

The 2026 Trade Deadline Special is going LIVE March 6th. Join the Daily Faceoff crew on Friday, March 6th, from 11 AM-3:30 PM ET for wall-to-wall coverage of every single move as it happens. Get instant reaction, expert analysis, and exclusive insights from special guests throughout the day. Tune in LIVE on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and don’t miss a second of deadline day chaos.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/finding-reasons-tune-into-toronto-maple-leafs-games

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Steve Simmons floats Chris Pronger as Leafs President: Leafs Morning Take

Now that the dust has settled on another NHL trade deadline, where do the Leafs go from here?

All we know is the plan is to make a plan. Mercifully, there are 18 games left in this train-wreck of a season.

At any rate, we kicked off the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take by giving our thoughts on Toronto’s ugly loss to the Bolts over the weekend. Also, in typical Leafs fashion, both Scott Laughton and Nicolas Roy are off to great starts with their new team. Laughton scored in his Kings debut while Roy buried a goal in Colorado’s shootout winner over Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. When it rains, it pours, right? We laughed about those developments for a few minutes. Meantime, Bobby McMann is expected to make his Kraken debut on Tuesday night against Nashville.

So, the Leafs have dropped seven in a row. Unsurprisingly, they were absolutely stomped by Tampa on Saturday night. Thanks to St. Louis’ win over Anaheim on Sunday, the Blues are now only six points back of the Maple Leafs in the standings. Of course, Toronto’s first round pick is top-5 protected. EMBRACE THE TANK. Matias Maccelli scored again to extend his point streak to five games. Since returning from the Olympic break, Toronto’s been outscored 32-14. Yeah, it’s been ugly. Obviously, we talked a bit about Berube’s future. There’s no way they can bring him back, is there?

Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons dropped by to weigh in on the Leafs’ current mess. From what he’s hearing, Simmons suggested there’s definitely a scenario where both Brad Treliving and Craig Berube return next season. He also touched on the organization’s approach right now — essentially a “plan to make a plan,” with no appetite internally to conduct a full autopsy on the season just yet. That said, we did give Treliving some credit for taking accountability when he addressed the media on Friday afternoon. Simmons also discussed the path forward, what the Leafs need to do to get back into contention, and why he believes Chris Pronger would be an ideal fit as team president. Lastly, he weighed in on Auston Matthews’ dip in production under Berube.

Toronto’s off to Montreal to tangle with the Habs. Join us on Tuesday (11 AM ET) for a full game preview as the tank-a-thon continues.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/ste...pronger-as-leafs-president-leafs-morning-take

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

There’s nothing in Brad Treliving’s career that points to him being the guy to fix the Maple Leafs

Breaking a team is easy. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ post-2005 lockout right up to Auston Matthews arrival make a strong case that sending a team towards the draft lottery is a hell of a lot easier than sending them towards the Stanley Cup. And before we completely lambast yet another General Manager for not making the trades or signing the players that we felt should have been Maple Leafs, there are plenty of complexities that come with being the General Manager in the largest fishbowl market in Canada and we aren’t privy to everything happening behind the scenes.

Looking at the deadline through an objective lens rather than the lens of someone who wanted to see a disappointing Maple Leafs team blown up, the Maple Leafs GM can hang his hat on the fact that other sellers like the Rangers, Canucks, and Panthers had even more underwhelming outings. Of course, two of those teams own their lottery picks and the other has won the last two Stanley Cups so the need to make the most of the deadline wasn’t there for them like the Leafs either. Brad Treliving giving up a lottery pick to the Bruins along with Fraser Minten for Brandon Carlo of all people is going to be a stench that hangs over this organization right up to the draft and while you can’t put that on Brandon Carlo, it is absolutely something you put on Brad Treliving.

The other ghost of the 2025 trade deadline that will haunt Treliving is only getting a third round pick back for Scott Laughton after sending out a 1st and Nikita Grebenkin for him last year. Laughton and Carlo are two prime examples of Treliving not being able to identify the right players for the Maple Leafs. You can certainly add Max Domi, Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy, and Matias Maccelli to the list of Brad Treliving misses, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson (disastrous first season), Anthony Stolarz (inability to handle 50% of the tandem role), and Chris Tanev (the injury situation many predicted) have been a mixed bag albeit with more frequent high end outputs.

That’s a pretty grim way of portraying Treliving’s time as General Manager and ignores some success stories like the Knies and Tavares contracts. The reality is that Treliving inherited a roster of a team that hit 111 points before his arrival and made it to the second round of the playoffs. He followed that up with a 102 point season and being done in the first round, then a 108 point season and a second round playoff exit and now the end results of season three, which aren’t known but certainly don’t involve the playoffs. At best, Treliving was able to come close to maintaining the Leafs success but has never built upon it. And it’s notable that this was his year untethered from the guidance of Brendan Shanahan. While Shanahan often received blame for not taking steps to move the team forward, Treliving has demonstrated that things could have been worse.

Treliving’s time in Calgary doesn’t offer much hope that he’s the guy to figure things out in Toronto either. His tenure in Calgary involved success similar to what he walked into in Toronto and the results achieved in his first couple of seasons, but like what the Maple Leafs are experiencing this year, there were a series of overcorrections which involved missed playoffs and returns to first or second round playoff exits. The exits of Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau mirror what the Leafs have started to experience with Mitch Marner walking to free agency, and while the Flames enjoyed some quality draft picks and a younger core that was developing and thus helping Treliving right the ship, the Leafs don’t have that luxury in part due to giving up assets for Laughton and Carlo.

Treliving and coaching is another challenge that needs to be reviewed. Berube isn’t a fit for the Leafs and arguably never was the right choice. He was an overcorrection of a possession driven approach to a safer dump and chase approach that certainly didn’t mirror with the abilities of the roster’s core. Berube’s one off Stanley Cup was reminiscent of Randy Carlyle’s Stanley Cup success, and while Brad Treliving didn’t have to live through that experiment in Toronto, there was a large portion of Leafs fans who recalled seeing that movie and not liking how it ended.

Treliving’s decision to bring back Darryl Sutter in Calgary had similar results in Calgary. It was okay for a brief period but ultimately went south after a couple of seasons of boring hockey that drove the Flames top talent out the door.

The Maple Leafs initial decision to bring in Brad Treliving was a safe one. Of the established NHL General Managers available, he was arguably the safest choice. He was initially embraced largely for not being Peter Chiarelli and not being a continuation of Kyle Dubas’ philosophy, something that might have held back some interesting internal candidates. The notion that Dubas was the barrier to success was debunked, even if that still doesn’t make you a fan of what Dubas was doing. Perhaps the Maple Leafs will go back to looking at dare to be great candidates rather than banking on GM experience being the be-all-end-all.

There are two years left on Auston Matthews’ contract, William Nylander will be thirty when the next season starts, and two key core players in John Tavares and Chris Tanev are already over 35. Time is of the essence and whether the goal is to still try to win now (and embrace a GM committed to getting a lot done fast) or tearing it all down (the architect of what the next iteration of the Leafs will look like), it seems like the candidate needs to bring more to the table than Brad Treliving can offer.

The Maple Leafs might not be ready to end Brad Treliving’s time in Toronto immediately, but what they need to look at is finding a President of Hockey Operations who has a clear plan for the Maple Leafs and that person needs to determine whether Brad Treliving is who they are comfortable with executing their vision.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/nothing-brad-treliving-career-points-fix-toronto-maple-leafs

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Frank Corrado thinks the Leafs can learn a lot From Montreal’s rebuild: Leafs Morning Take

The best part about the NHL trade deadline every year is hearing about the deals that didn’t happen.

This year is no different.

On Monday afternoon, Nick Kypreos, co-host of Kyper & Bourne, floated the idea that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens discussed a potential Matthew Knies trade prior to Friday’s deadline. On so many levels, that’s pretty wild.

As fate would have it, those two storied Original Six rivals meet Tuesday night for the fourth and final time this season.

For us, even the notion of trading Knies, who’s just 22, wouldn’t make much sense. Unless Montreal was willing to severely overpay, there’s no way the Leafs should revisit that conversation in the offseason. On top of that, trading with a divisional rival is always a slippery slope—just look at the Brandon Carlo deal.

At any rate, as mentioned, Toronto’s in Montreal to tangle with the Habs. Through three outings, they’re 1-1-1 against them. The tank’s officially on. The Leafs have dropped seven in a row. In fact, they haven’t won a game since February 3rd. Auston Matthews is goalless in 11 straight games. He hasn’t scored since January 27th. Meantime, Matias Maccelli’s riding a five game point streak. Surprise, surprise, Craig Berube’s going with new lines to start this one. Matthews and Nylander were split up, Domi’s back on the top line, and Cowan-Quillian-Robertson will comprise the third line. Whatever. By the way, it sounds like Bo Groulx, who was called up Tuesday morning, will make his Maple Leafs debut in this one. Groulx, 26, has 27 goals and 50 points for the Marlies this season.

Meantime, former Maple Leaf and current TSN hockey analyst Frankie Corrado then joined us. Firstly, he weighed in on the Knies to Montreal trade buzz. Corrado, who does a lot of colour analyst work for Habs games, thinks Knies is exactly the type of player that Montreal would currently covet. On top of that, from a Toronto perspective, he thinks Montreal would be an attractive match for a trade because of all the picks and prospects that they currently possess. At any rate, Corrado also hit on Toronto’s deadline, the plan moving forward, and what needs to change for the Maple Leafs to catapult themselves back into playoff contention next season. His insight was very strong. He painted a picture of what the organization could be thinking right now. Furthermore, he shed some perspective from his time as a Leaf in 15-16, the year the team tanked to get the first overall pick (Auston Mattthews). Lastly, Corrado dished on what the Leafs can learn from Montreal, who was able to retool rather quickly.

Coming up on the Wednesday edition of Leafs Morning Take, we’ll recap Leafs/Habs plus look ahead to the rest of the week for the Maple Leafs.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/fra...lot-from-montreals-rebuild-leafs-morning-take

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Craig Berube laments Maple Leafs’ scoring troubles after loss vs. Canadiens: ‘We need more guys to dig in’

The Toronto Maple Leafs extended their losing streak to eight games on Tuesday night, falling 3-1 to the Montreal Canadiens on the road and still without a win since a victory over the Edmonton Oilers well over a month ago.

The Leafs allowed two goals in the first period, a deficit that, at one time, they would have had no issue mounting to get back into the game. But, with the 2025-26 Leafs, it feels like there’s no getting them back. Head coach Craig Berube explained that the Leafs have allowed a bad sequence to dictate games far too often lately.

“You don’t have to dominate a period,” Berube said. “You’ve got to defend. Throughout this stretch, there’s been a lot of good hockey, but then there’s that stretch of, if it’s a period or a 10-minute stretch, where teams score 2 or 3 goals.”

The Leafs have scored three goals in two losses since the trade deadline, a trend that’s been bubbling for quite some time now, and Berube called on his players to get their hands dirtier to find the offence.

“Right now we can’t find the back of the net,” Berube continued. “So, you know, when this is going on, we gotta keep the puck out of our net as much as possible and hopefully find our scoring. You know, we need more guys to dig in.”

One player who brought the energy was Bo Groulx, the Toronto Marlies’ current leading scorer who was called up earlier in the day for his season debut. Berube pointed to Groulx’s performance as positive from the game despite the outcome.

“In the minors, he’s put up some real good numbers down there, and I was pretty impressed with a couple of plays that he did tonight, challenged defencemen and beat them. You know, they [his line] had a couple of good scoring chances.”

The Maple Leafs will hit the ice again on Thursday when they host the Anaheim Ducks.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/cra...-leafs-scoring-troubles-loss-canadiens-dig-in

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Jean-Sébastien Giguère points to leadership as root of Maple Leafs’ downfall: Leafs Morning Take

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t won a game in 36 days.

Sure, there was an Olympic break sandwiched in there, but damn, that’s ugly.

Thanks to their 3-1 loss in Montreal on Tuesday night, Toronto’s winless skid is now up to eight games (0-6-2). Incredibly, Craig Berube and company now find themselves with the seventh worst record in the NHL. Suddenly, a bottom-five pick in the draft seems very much attainable. St. Louis picked up a point and the Rangers won for the second straight night, which means Toronto’s only five points back of being in position for a top-5 pick. The Leafs have 17 games left.

At any rate, we kicked off the Wednesday edition of Leafs Morning Take by discussing Bam Adeybayo’s legendary 83 point night for the Miami Heat. This is not a basketball show but, boy oh boy, is it ever fun to hear Rosey talk about basketball, or what? Truthfully, we were just stalling so that we didn’t have to talk about the Leafs.

Speaking of which, we did dive deeper into the loss in Montreal. As noted, the Leafs haven’t won a game since February 3rd. On top of that, Auston Matthews hasn’t scored since January 27th; a span of 12 games. Furthermore, the captain has mustered just one goal in his past 16 outings. Easton Cowan played well. The rookie picked up a beautiful assist on William Nylander’s goal, logging 18:21 of ice. Meantime, we were fired up to see Nick Robertson almost drop the mitts. Rosey broke down Brendan Gallagher’s hit on Cowan, and the fight with Jake McCabe that followed it. If you take a closer look, Robertson dropped his stick and was ready to throw down, but unfortunately, McCabe beat him to the punch. Additionally, we broke down Bo Groulx’s Maple Leafs debut. The 26-year-old, who suited up in his 66th career NHL game, looked good tallying two shots on goal in 14:13 of action. He definitely brought some spice to the bottom-six.

After that, 2003 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and former Leafs netminder Jean-Sébastien Giguère joined us. First, Giggy weighed in on the game against Montreal, highlighting Joseph Woll’s sparkling performance. Naturally, we dove into Toronto’s crease situation, where Giguère suggested the Leafs actually have three formidable options moving forward—and that the team should consider dealing whichever goalie could bring back the biggest return in a trade this summer. When asked about what led to Toronto’s downfall this season, Giguère pointed directly at leadership. He also reflected on his time in Toronto, what it was like playing on a losing team, and how he handled difficult situations behind the scenes. As always, Giggy delivered plenty of insight.

Next up for the Maple Leafs is a home date with the Anaheim Ducks. We’ll have a full game preview on Thursday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take, as David Pagnotta fills in for Jay Rosehill. Speaking of Rosey, we caught up with Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville—you’ll be able to hear that interview on Thursday’s show as well.

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Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/jea...ot-of-maple-leafs-downfall-leafs-morning-take

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Pagnotta: Maple Leafs took Scott Laughton trade down to the wire

The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly took the trade to send Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings down to the buzzer on the day of the trade deadline, according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta.

“ They moved out Nicolas Roy, Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton. Maybe got a little less overall than they anticipated under the circumstances,” he said during an appearance on DFO Rundown on Wednesday. “The Laughton trade, that went way too long. It was right at the wire before they got that in, and that’s why it ended up being just a third-round pick that could go to a second if they make the playoffs.”

The consensus among Leafs fans after the deadline was that they were disappointed with the lack of meaningful work done by GM Brad Treliving, particularly with how little he got back for Laughton after giving up a first and Nikita Grebenkin to get him a year prior. There were reports that the Leafs at this year’s deadline were difficult to deal with because of their indecisiveness, so that could help explain why the returns were so small.

On top of the little business that got done, many things were discussed but never materialized for the Leafs. Pagnotta reported that he was given the impression the day before the deadline that Oliver Ekman-Larsson was going to be traded, yet it didn’t happen due in part to the Leafs not getting their asking price met.

“Beyond [Ekman-Larsson], they tried with a number of their guys,” Pagnotta said. “Morgan Rielly’s name popped up throughout the week.  We know Matthew Knies’ name did. I had a text message on Tuesday morning about Knies and just a curious, ‘Are you hearing stuff? Cause we are.’  Then I got a text message later on that night about it being like, ‘Yeah, there’s something there.'”

Pagnotta later added that he didn’t put much stock in the notion that the Leafs would consider moving Knies because the only way it would gain any traction was if they had a serious buyer who would present them with an offer they can’t refuse. He compared it to what the St. Louis Blues tried to do with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, both of whom gained traction in trade rumours but nothing ever came close to fruition. When asked what it would have taken for the Leafs to contemplate moving off Knies, Pagnotta stated that it would have been at least three first-round calibre assets that they could immediately insert into the lineup.

In addition to dangling Knies and Rielly, Pagnotta reported that the Leafs listened in on several other players who had term left on their contracts.

“The two names that I heard started to fizzle towards the deadline in terms of ones that were really out there were Simon Benoit, who has another year in his contract, and Steven Lorentz, who was generating interest. Sounded like both of those guys were going into deadline day there, it just kind of died down on those fronts,” he said. “The Leafs tried to move Maccelli, Domi was out there, Carlo was out there, McCabe.  They’re willing to listen in on guys.”

With the dust settled on the trade deadline, the Leafs have to turn their attention to finishing out the season and then taking care of major decisions with the overall direction of the team. There is no doubt that there will be some significant changes in the months ahead, but what isn’t known is how exactly that will unfold and who will be in charge of setting the course.

Pagnotta made it clear that the future remains murky for the likes of Treliving and head coach Craig Berube.

“There’s questions about the coaching staff, and I think they’re leaning towards a change. We’ll see what happens once the season ends,” he said. “ Now I was told by multiple people that Treliving is staying and they’re gonna give him an opportunity to kind of fix this. The leash is shortened and fix this.  I had some pushback on that last night unsolicited, I don’t know where.  So we’ll see kind of where that’s going.”

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TABLE Fare + Social is a vibrant food hall in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, offering a unique dining and social experience just steps from transit and the arena—perfect for pregame meals before tip-off. Open weekdays from 11am to 10pm, TABLE serves up morning treats, creative eats, and lively after-work events. With a private terrace overlooking Toronto’s elevated park, guests enjoy stunning views alongside year-round programming that includes food tastings, cooking classes, live music, and pop-up events designed to spark connection and creativity. Follow along @Tablefood hall or tablefoodhall.com

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/pagnotta-toronto-maple-leafs-took-scott-laughton-trade-wire

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews leaves game after knee-on-knee hit from Ducks’ Radko Gudas

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left Thursday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, after getting hit in a knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas.

Gudas stuck his knee out intentionally and clipped Matthews in the offensive zone during the second period. Matthews immediately crashed to the ice and was assisted off the ice by trainers, after he was initially slow to get up, favouring his left knee.

Auston Matthews is slow to get up after a knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas. Matthews still down the ice with trainers looking over. Gudas assessed a five-minute major. This doesn't look good at all but Matthews skating off with a trainer.

— Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) March 13, 2026

As a result of the hit, Gudas was issued a five-minute major and game misconduct. Gudas will likely face supplementary discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety. Gudas has been suspended three times during his career, and will likely be considered a repeat offender by the league office, especially considering the intentional nature of his hit on Matthews.

It would be a seismic loss for the Maple Leafs if Matthews missed extended time, or suffered a major injury. Matthews fought through a lingering upper-body injury for the duration of the 2024-25 season, and has battled through lower-body injuries during the 2025-26 campaign. He is the Maple Leafs’ foundational player, and there’s no way to account for his potential omission from the lineup. Matthews is arguably the premier goal-scorer of his generation, and he’s instrumental to all facets of the Maple Leafs’ game, as he’s utilized heavily in defensive zone scenarios.

It’s been a nightmare season for the Maple Leafs, who are currently mired in an eight-game losing streak. A significant injury to Matthews would constitute the worst-case scenario, especially considering that he’s in the prime of his career, while fighting through several ailments over the past two seasons.

At the time of this filing, Matthews hasn’t been formally ruled out of the contest, but it doesn’t appear that he will be returning to the game. An update on Matthews’ status is expected post-game.

The Leafs Nation will update this story immediately with further details.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/tor...eaves-game-knee-on-knee-hit-ducks-radko-gudas