Last March, the Toronto Maple Leafs were clinching a playoff spot on their route to their first Atlantic Division title. Fast forward to March 2026, and the team is fighting for a great spot in the NHL lottery.
From being second last in the Atlantic Division to losing captain Auston Matthews for the remainder of the season, it has not been a fun year to be a Maple Leafs fan. The disappointment all year—fans are finally ready to see it end.
The Leafs have eight games remaining of this horrific season, which fans, and maybe the players, are hoping will come quickly. Heading into the new season, it should be quite a busy summer for the organization. Here are some moves that should happen.
Management shake-up
This year’s failure can be blamed on almost everyone in the Leafs organization, but names that have come up are Head Coach Craig Berube and General Manager Brad Treliving.
Last season, Berube coached the team to a 52–26–4 record, claiming their first Atlantic Division title. Compared to this season, 31–30–13 so far with some games remaining, this is simply not good enough. Could it be Berube losing the room? Are we looking at a Mike Babcock-type situation?
From what was put out onto the ice, this team cannot play Berube-style hockey, hard, physical, dump-and-chase. Shaking up the head coach position is always the easy route for many struggling teams, and with many former NHL coaches looking for work, Berube might be on his way out.
Bringing in Treliving as the general manager has always had some heat, given how his tenure ended with the Calgary Flames; many fans could not stomach him joining their precious Leafs. This year was not a great look for Treliving as he gave up key players such as Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Nic Roy for a couple of decent picks and no prospects.
MLSE President Keith Pelly put faith in these two guys to take the Leafs into the promised land, and it seems now that this faith might be fading away.
Trading big-name guys
When it comes to big trades, the Leafs rarely ever get brought up, and for good reason. You have guys like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, Morgan Rielly, and even Mitch Marner when he was a part of the team. All this talent and no success; the leadership and core of this team for years have eaten most of the cap space, yet given the fanbase zero results in multiple postseasons.
The time feels right to move on from some of these guys. Morgan Rielly is a start. Ever since his breakout 72-point season, he has not been able to be that guy on the back end for the Maple Leafs, especially since Berube took over the bench. In his last two seasons combined, Rielly accumulated 74 points in 151 games, not worthy of a number-one defenceman.
Matthews and Nylander have been through it all with the Leafs, a part of every heartbreaking loss in the postseason. Trading one of your big players might bring in more assets to diversify the lineup, well-rounding the team. Nylander has another six years left on his deal at $11.5M, while Matthews has another two years at $13.25M, and they aren’t getting any younger. Trading one of them now could benefit the team in the future and could land something they have been missing forever.
A No. 1 defenceman
Leafs fans have, for years, complained about not having a number-one defenceman, as Rielly cannot play up to the Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes standard. A defenceman who can play both ends on the ice, quarterback a power play, and lead a penalty kill is an asset that the Leafs could’ve used in the nine consecutive playoff runs against teams like the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers.
A common trait in Stanley Cup winners is having an elite defenceman, and that’s what Toronto is missing. Looking into the offseason, the Leafs need to dive headfirst into a defenceman contract and sign or trade for one. An elite defenceman could solve all of Toronto’s problems and get them further in their quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
A season to forget leads into an offseason that may have fans keeping their hopes for the 2026–27 season.
Fire the GM before the draft! Bring in Pronger! Have a experienced assistant GM to guide him.
Keep Berube as he was not supplied the players and type of team that he likes and can win it all.
It’s clear Brad Treliving is a nice man however look what he did in Calgary and now in Toronto. It seems his idea of a Berube kind of player is Domi, Marcelli, Robertson and other below 6 foot players. And he should have resigned Laughton!
Roy was big but soft, there is no one to protect the stars, if we had one, Gudas would have thought twice hitting Mathews in the way he did. Now that the season is over it shows how dysfunctional the team is, instead of bringing Marlie players up their trying to win instead of getting a top 5 pick in the draft, again that’s on the GM.
Trevilliny gave Berube a fork to eat tomato soup. Well Berube wanted heavy beef stew. That’s on our GM! To point at our coach is unjust however he got what he could out of this team of sentivity players.
Fire our GM! Because he failed to recognize Mitch Marne4s value to the team and once gone he failed to replace him with a high in player opting instead to sign a few less caliber players, another bg mistake!
Change completely the players on the team now, especially the 3/4 line they do not like his style of coaching and get rid of them because you will never win with them! Please do not resign Macelli.
Trade Mathews and Riley who are always injured for B Tachuck and Sanderson or Chaboit. Name Brady captain he will straighten out the room. Not sure if Ottawa would go for this, however Toronto should.
Trade Robertson, Domi for big hardworking player/’s who can skate and forcheck and not be afraid to stickup for the team.
Give Berbue a chance one year with a team he likes not the kind of team Brad Treliving likes and build. It ovious Brad cannot identify the kind of players Toronto needs as supporting cast to the couple of stars they have.
Get bigger, faster and harder working lines, not small softer players who score 10 to 15 goals a year.
IN FREE AGENCY, try to sign Tuck, and or Dallas Robertson, or Vancouver Evander Kane if you decide to keep Mathews and put hin on his line for protection.
Media is the blame for pushing the fire Berube, stop it, you should focus your attention on firing our GM!