2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[Arn]

Get a new GM in place over the break. Let him sell off a few players if they can get an astronomical return (OEL for example). Then start the rebuild over the summer.

This HAS to be the course of action.

I'd probably let Berube stay til the end of the season also, or maybe find some kind of interim. One who doesn't care about their record and isn't planning a head coaching career of their own at NHL level so they don't mind losing lots. But who might be able to coach up some younger players. Reason for changing would mainly be player usage - I'd rather a coach played the likes of Quillan etc to see what they can do.

Either way that would give said new GM time to find their own coach. Plus there may be more coaches available in the summer anyway.

 

[Arn]

As for the roster:

Goal

Woll - keep
Hildeby - keep
Stolarz - cash in

Defense

Benoit - cash in
Carlo - Trade
McCabe - keep
Myers - cash in
OEL - cash in
Rielly - trade in off season
Stecher - probably cash in
Tanev - keep, consider position during summer
Thrun - play him

Forward

Cowan - keep, and probably play, but really should be at Marlies
Domi - take whatever you can get
Jarnkrok - cash in
Joshua/Lorentz - i bundle these 2 cos I'd keep one and cash one in. Don't really mind either way
Knies - big keep
Laughton - I'm extending him, and probably giving him an A. I did see an argument for cashing on him, but I think you still need a key "dressing room" guy for next season with all the new guys we'll have
Maccelli - cash in
Matthews - keep obvs
McMann - cash in and sell high cos I don't think his next contract will be as good value for money
Nylander - keep
Quillan - keep and PLAY HIM
Robertson - probably cash in purely cos he might bring some value as RFA
Roy - cash in
Tavares - keep, but let's start to see him on the wing.



My team would look very different next season I'm hoping Rielly can be moved for a defenseman to replace himself. And some of the picks we can get at the deadline might be able to go with him for... someone.

Then I think someone else mentioned him, but would love to see someone like Schmaltz can come in and be a 2nd line centre guy. That puts Tavares out to the wing or even down to 3rd line C. I wouldn't be averse to a Panarin or Necas signing if there was a way to do that to round out the top of the line up. (if they haven't signed already)

 

[Arn]

On Laughton.

I wonder if there's a way of trading him and bring him back in the summer. Best of both worlds.

 

[Bill_Berg]

On Laughton.

I wonder if there's a way of trading him and bring him back in the summer. Best of both worlds.

I wonder why there isn't more of this.

 

[Arn]

I guess the danger is you trade him to XXXX and he loves it so much more there that he agrees an extension or something.

But the narrative is that he loves it in Toronto and wants to stay. If you could get some kind of "gentleman's agreement" that isn't an actual contract with him before the summer maybe there's a way to do it.

I'm sure as a hockey guy he'd appreciate the chance to help the Leafs and have a better side to play with next season...

 

[dekedastardly]

I doubt they'll get a 1st for anything and they'll chalk the failed season up to key player injuries. Fact of the matter is the precious babies 34 & 88 continue to be coddled and are left free to float around with zero accountability for their shitty play and lack of results. First i'd go to the longest serving Leaf, Reilly and politely ask him to scram. Then I do the same thing to the GQ boys. Re-sign Laughton and give him the C. Knies is untouchable, so is Cowan, keep Hildby, Woll and I'd try and re-sign McMann. Anybody else is on the table.

 

[L K]

Swayman had a rough year after the contract fight. They lost McAVoy for most of the season. They lost Lindholm on defense.

I know this team has had a lot of injuries but they also have an empty cupboard. The assets that we potentially trade aren't going to return NHL ready prospects. Free agency is a massive waste anymore. At this point in time we don't have a single top pairing defenseman. Even if Tanev comes back....can we trust his health moving forward. This was always going to be the gamble with him. McCabe on his game is really good but is he a #2, a #3?

This team needs to start shutting down injured players. McCabe can't be healthy. Knies is not. Tavares is probably not. Don't rush Nylander back. Just accept that this team is bad a

 

[rdowdall]

Missing the playoffs may be what Matthews and Nylander need. Behind closed doors, I imagine they still believe they have a shot, that their talent will get them through to the playoffs. As Crosby said, talent without hard work means nothing, and that is where Nylander and Matthews are at. They are at a crossroads, and they can got the MacKinnon route, or they can go the Reonick route. We'll see what they choose.

I've always said that making the playoffs that first year when Matthews, Nylander, and Marner were rookies was bad for them. I don't think they respect the playoffs because they just got handed them. And so they think, hey we are going to have a shot at this every year. Now maybe they will realize they don't.

 

[Andy007]

This team has managed to have years of continued success (in terms of regular season and making palyoffs) simply by virtue of their star players. It's almost like they're on auto-pilot mode, and behind the scenes it's re-arranging deck chairs and making small roster and system tweaks that ultimately have no effect on the final product. I'd love to see a cohesive, organizational change that extends to behind the scenes and down to the minor leagues and development. There seems to be no plan; prospects have continually been called up and neglected or underused; lineup changes all over the place; fitting certain players into roles or lines where they do not belong. Everything is a mess.

Get a smart, younger, creative mind in that can shape this organization from the bottom-up. Have that person bring in a coach that matches their sensibilities. We are going nowhere if we continue to shed picks and have no interest in developing anyone from the Marlies.

 

[Arn]

This team has managed to have years of continued success (in terms of regular season and making palyoffs) simply by virtue of their star players. It's almost like they're on auto-pilot mode, and behind the scenes it's re-arranging deck chairs and making small roster and system tweaks that ultimately have no effect on the final product. I'd love to see a cohesive, organizational change that extends to behind the scenes and down to the minor leagues and development. There seems to be no plan; prospects have continually been called up and neglected or underused; lineup changes all over the place; fitting certain players into roles or lines where they do not belong. Everything is a mess.

Get a smart, younger, creative mind in that can shape this organization from the bottom-up. Have that person bring in a coach that matches their sensibilities. We are going nowhere if we continue to shed picks and have no interest in developing anyone from the Marlies.

They had their flaws, and we can debate how bad those flaws were, and indeed how much Shanahan over-ruled them, but at least this was kind of what Dubas and Keefe seemed to be at least trying to do.

As I say you can debate the success of it, but at least there seemed to be a coherent plan or vision. Even if it maybe wasn't quite the right vision.

 

[rdowdall]

They had their flaws, and we can debate how bad those flaws were, and indeed how much Shanahan over-ruled them, but at least this was kind of what Dubas and Keefe seemed to be at least trying to do.

As I say you can debate the success of it, but at least there seemed to be a coherent plan or vision. Even if it maybe wasn't quite the right vision.

This is just those sort of thing teams like the Maple Leafs do. Look at what the Bills just did. They made a change, and a lot of people feel it was the wrong change because the GM is probably the reason they are in the position they are in, which is to say spinning their wheels wasting the best QB they have had since Jim Kelly and maybe ever

 

[Bender]

They had their flaws, and we can debate how bad those flaws were, and indeed how much Shanahan over-ruled them, but at least this was kind of what Dubas and Keefe seemed to be at least trying to do.

As I say you can debate the success of it, but at least there seemed to be a coherent plan or vision. Even if it maybe wasn't quite the right vision.

A coherent plan and vision is fine, but they really needed to try something different when it wasn't working. Trading picks every year for mediocre players, players who wouldn't re-sign after spending assets and ignoring the need to keep coming up with young talent and hanging on to them once they had them really screwed this team.

 

[Andy007]

A coherent plan and vision is fine, but they really needed to try something different when it wasn't working. Trading picks every year for mediocre players, players who wouldn't re-sign after spending assets and ignoring the need to keep coming up with young talent and hanging on to them once they had them really screwed this team.

Absolutely, adaptation and learning from one's mistakes should also be part of any cohesive plan (and, as we saw, the Cap not moving for multiple years and the standard principle of officiating suddently doing a 180 can add additional, significant obstacles).

But the ability to include and integrate youth into the lineup was also a major flaw of the former regime. Maybe a simple coaching change would have worked, or finding the right (as in, an actually GOOD) goaltender would have made the difference? Either way, I feel like right now the plan was simply "Berube style" and that's it, and the outlook is pretty bleak, imo.

 

[Arn]

A coherent plan and vision is fine, but they really needed to try something different when it wasn't working. Trading picks every year for mediocre players, players who wouldn't re-sign after spending assets and ignoring the need to keep coming up with young talent and hanging on to them once they had them really screwed this team.

Yes, I think they were (especially Dubas) adapting. The pace of that adaptation was probably too slow. And I wonder if pressure from above also slowed it down. (Trading Marner being blocked by Shanahan debate etc).

Absolutely, adaptation and learning from one's mistakes should also be part of any cohesive plan (and, as we saw, the Cap not moving for multiple years and the standard principle of officiating suddently doing a 180 can add additional, significant obstacles).

But the ability to include and integrate youth into the lineup was also a major flaw of the former regime. Maybe a simple coaching change would have worked, or finding the right (as in, an actually GOOD) goaltender would have made the difference? Either way, I feel like right now the plan was simply "Berube style" and that's it, and the outlook is pretty bleak, imo.

I'd not have been averse to Dubas picking a Keefe replacement, possibly a season sooner than Keefe did eventually go.

I do think, if you put the goaltending we had last season into one of the Keefe sides we probably get a few rounds further into a playoff at least one year. That's obviously conjecture. And then that changes the whole narrative of their time.

The current "style" and "vision" is just awful to watch. It's getting us nowhere. And I can't see them adapting either. Especially as you see with the likes of Quillan getting into the lineup then playing 4 minutes.

 

[Bender]

Yes, I think they were (especially Dubas) adapting. The pace of that adaptation was probably too slow. And I wonder if pressure from above also slowed it down. (Trading Marner being blocked by Shanahan debate etc).


I'd not have been averse to Dubas picking a Keefe replacement, possibly a season sooner than Keefe did eventually go.

I do think, if you put the goaltending we had last season into one of the Keefe sides we probably get a few rounds further into a playoff at least one year. That's obviously conjecture. And then that changes the whole narrative of their time.

The current "style" and "vision" is just awful to watch. It's getting us nowhere. And I can't see them adapting either. Especially as you see with the likes of Quillan getting into the lineup then playing 4 minutes.

Whatever the case is, they didn't adapt. We can probably ascribe the most blame to Shanny, but every GM and AGM throughout this tenure is culpable. It's been mistake after mistake since they all collectively short circuited the rebuild once they drafted Matthews and handed out horrible contracts. They also had plenty of chances to add good goaltending and the failed to do that repeatedly, so honestly that point is irrelevant to me. I'm also tired of the flat cap comment as if the Leafs were the only team to contend with that reality.

I do think the team needs a new coach (and new GM) but the previous vision being less awful because they were good in the regular season and were "adapting" by winning two rounds in 9yrs is cold, cold comfort.

 

[azzurri63]

I said it before and I'll say it again we are f'd for a few years now. Nothing to be excited about and Dekedastardly is right be surprised if they get a 1st for anyone. The dismantle should have happened years ago. Some of us could see it and called for change but instead we kept giving away players and drafts for playoff success that wasn't going to happen with this core and on top of that let Marner walk. Horribly run team from Shanahan down.

 

[Redleaf]

I doubt they'll get a 1st for anything and they'll chalk the failed season up to key player injuries. Fact of the matter is the precious babies 34 & 88 continue to be coddled and are left free to float around with zero accountability for their shitty play and lack of results. First i'd go to the longest serving Leaf, Reilly and politely ask him to scram. Then I do the same thing to the GQ boys. Re-sign Laughton and give him the C. Knies is untouchable, so is Cowan, keep Hildby, Woll and I'd try and re-sign McMann. Anybody else is on the table.

The problem with keeping good goalies during a rebuild is they can have the undesirable effect of winning games for you. You need to have a crappy goalie duo for a few years so that we can get the highest possible picks in the draft.

 

[Bill_Berg]

The problem with keeping good goalies during a rebuild is they can have the undesirable effect of winning games for you. You need to have a crappy goalie duo for a few years so that we can get the highest possible picks in the draft.

Might as well keep them for a couple years. Losing doesn't help them until 2028.

 

[bustaheims]

Might as well keep them for a couple years. Losing doesn't help them until 2028.

Yup. There's no rebuilding for the Leafs until 27/28 at the earliest, unless Boston and/or Philly do the Leafs a huge favour and trade those 1st round picks back.

Best we can hope for right now is a proper retool around the current core and goalies.

 

[cabber24]

Sucking with no draft picks and prospects is a problem. A decision has to be made to recoup what you can. There is no path to contend with the assets on hand. Doing nothing to hope to accomplish what?