The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a major crisis with the 2025-26 season having gone off to a disastrous start.
The team has struggled to string together consistently strong results, the star players are failing to produce, the power play has been a disaster, and the coaching staff is seemingly out of answers for how to turn things around. There also appears to be a glaring disconnect between the coaches and the players, which brings into question the futures of Craig Berube and Brad Treliving in Toronto.
That’s why The Leafs Nation team came together to do a roundtable discussing the struggles of the team and what needs to be done to salvage the season. Without further delay, let’s get into the roundtable!
What do you think is the biggest reason for the Leafs’ struggles this season?
Arun Srinivasan, managing editor: There’s a disconnect between the star players and Craig Berube’s system, and no one wants to take accountability for it. Auston Matthews and William Nylander have been reduced to shells of themselves, while playing in a system predicated on puck retrieval and sustaining the cycle. And of course, the Maple Leafs can’t stop anyone off the rush. There has to be a better marriage of tactics and personnel.
Alex Hobson, associate editor: I think it’s everything combined. If Matthews was anything close to his 2023-24 form instead of on pace for a 60-point season, the Leafs are probably better. If the roster is better-constructed, the Leafs are probably better. If Berube’s dump-and-chase system was even remotely working for the Leafs, they’re probably better. It’s a perfect storm.
Michael Mazzei, writer and social media coordinator: There are a lot of things wrong with the Leafs this season, but the biggest one to me is their flawed system that does not get the most out of the players. Craig Berube’s north-south hockey may be simple in premise, but it is quite taxing on the players and it has had a major impact on the overall offensive production which can be a lot better. It’s no wonder we’re seeing a disconnect between the coaches and the players right now.
Jon Steitzer, editor: There are so many reasons why the Maple Leafs are struggling and because there are so many, the biggest reason is that Brad Treliving just can’t cut it as GM. Don’t get me wrong, the Tavares and Knies contracts are great, but the Maple Leafs giving up a potential top ten pick for Brandon Carlo is a fireable offence before you even start talking about his mishandling of the Marner situation, and how the uninspired hiring of Craig Berube is biting the team on the ass. A lot of work needs to be done to fix things and if MLSE leaves Treliving in charge of that, this team is doomed.
Dylan Nazareth, writer: It feels like there’s a disconnect between the players and the coaching. You hardly hear the team reiterate their faith in Berube anymore, and it’s become clear there’s just not the necessary buy-in to his style of play and systems right now.
Do you place the blame squarely on the players, coaches, management or all of the above?
Srinivasan: It’s primarily on the players, but all parties should take blame. Berube’s pedagogy is being met with disinterest, Matthews, Nylander and the core are eschewing responsibility, while Treliving may have taken the wrong lessons from the Florida Panthers. This is a combination of elements failing together in concert.
Hobson: Again, it’s probably a 33% split across the board for who to blame. The top players haven’t been anywhere close to good enough lately, the depth has been streaky at best, the coach hasn’t made any effort to change things up and the general manager seems hellbent on letting this group figure it out.
Mazzei: Everyone has to take blame for the mess the team is in since it’s not just one thing that is holding this year’s version of the club back. The players are not performing up to standards, the coaches are not doing their jobs, and the general manager has not been able to build a strong enough roster and make the upgrades in-season.
Steitzer: It has to be all of the above. This is Brad Treliving’s mess, but Berube has done more harm than good as coach, and most of the roster has underperformed.
Nazareth: All of the above. The lack of effort from the team overall is apparent on the ice, but it feels like the coaching has also removed some of the spark that once made this core so great. And part of that also comes from management not bringing in the right type of players in the summer to keep Toronto’s offence pumping this season.
If the Leafs decide to make a coaching change, who do you think should replace Craig Berube?
Srinivasan: I’m going off the board and suggesting David Carle. Carle has displayed no indication that he wants to leave his current job, but he’s considered one of the sharpest minds in the NCAA, and may be able to connect with the core in a way that Berube, Sheldon Keefe and Mike Babcock couldn’t. I’m also against the ’40 hockey men for 32 hockey jobs’ line of thinking, and Denver’s head coach could provide the team with some much-needed life and creative thinking.
Hobson: I’m on team Bruce Boudreau all the way. Maybe not as a permanent replacement, but you’ve got an offensive-minded guy who is from Toronto and has expressed a desire to coach this team in the past. If nothing else, the vibes should rise with Boudreau at the helm, and at bare minimum improve the mood of the room for the rest of the year.
Mazzei: I am with the popular consensus in clamouring for Pete DeBoer. Beyond the fact that this is a coach who has had tons of success in the playoffs, including his perfect record in Game 7s, his coaching style should be a better fit for what the Leafs have at their disposal. He is easily the best free agent coach available, and I would imagine he would welcome the challenge of trying to turn the Leafs’ season around.
Steitzer: I’d look at John Gruden from the Marlies as the interim option. I never liked the hiring of Derek Lalonde as an assistant and don’t think Lalonde has the potential to lose the interim tag like Gruden could. Ultimately the Maple Leafs should look at who is available right after the season and make their decision at that time. I’m not convinced Pete DeBoer is the answer but if he’s the best available in April, I’ll change my mind.
Nazareth: I like the DeBoer pick, if only for the Game 7 record.
Beyond coaching, what other changes do you think the Leafs should make in-season?
Srinivasan: The team needs to find a new voice behind the bench, and then go from there. Treliving could be dismissed in the offseason, and the next head coach and general manager need to articulate their shared vision to the fan base. Brendan Shanahan earmarked Treliving for his job, stating that the general manager needed prior experience. It hasn’t served the Maple Leafs well. If Toronto can recoup a first-round pick at the deadline for a useful veteran player, that would count as a success.
Hobson: I don’t think there’s a change they really can make that will fix everything at once. Treliving probably has to go, but I don’t see them making that move until the offseason. But, if that’s the case, do you trust him to make moves throughout the rest of the season? If the Leafs are out of a playoff spot, you’d hope they sell off some pieces to try and get assets back, but do you want Treliving being in charge of that?
Mazzei: While I would prefer that they also move on from Treliving, my guess is the Leafs will give him one more chance with a different coach to see if that’s enough to keep him beyond this season. And with the pressure on him to deliver, he will address one key area of weakness for this Leafs team: adding a top-six forward. It won’t be easy to pull off given their limited assets, but it could unlock another gear in this team that isn’t completely out of it.
Steitzer: Getting rid of Treliving should be the priority as the Leafs shouldn’t have any confidence in his ability to pick the next coach or to navigate the trade deadline on their behalf. Roster wise, now is the time to cash out on Ekman-Larsson’s strong season, move a goaltender, and sell on anyone not named Matthews, Knies, Tavares, Cowan or Nylander.
Nazareth: I’d like to see them at least look into trading a big piece. The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have much to offer in terms of picks, depth pieces, or prospects, but they are top loaded with talent both offensively and in between the pipes. At this point, a coaching change doesn’t seem like it’ll be enough, and a major shakeup is needed, but only if they can secure a big return like the Canucks did with Quinn Hughes.
How confident are you that the Leafs can salvage their season if they stay the course?
Srinivasan: 5/10. I’ve usually operated with tremendous faith in Matthews, Nylander and the offensive corps, but there’s too much ground to be made up ahead of Christmas. They’ll fight to the end, but the Maple Leafs are likely going to miss the playoffs for the first time in the Matthews era.
Hobson: I would put it at a 5 right now. With the amount of talented players the Leafs have, I don’t think they will ever be truly bad enough to finish bottom five and retain their first round pick. They don’t want Boston to get a good pick, so I think they’re going to stay the course and try to make the playoffs. Whether or not they’ll have enough success is up in the air. This team has shown me nothing to indicate that now, but they also have a unique talent of bringing you back when it seems all hope is lost.
Mazzei: I am not confident in the Leafs’ ability to turn things around by keeping things the way they are. Their recent firing of Marc Savard did address a problem, but not the main reason why they are struggling. My faith in the Leafs’ ability to salvage things rests on more significant changes, which start with the coaching staff.
Steitzer: There is enough talent on this team and enough parity in the league that anything could happen but given that the only thing that matters is the Stanley Cup, I have zero confidence that this group gets close to being in serious contention. With the opportunity to retain salary three times and plenty of free agents with at least modest value, the Leafs can make use of this season as a way to retool for next year.
Nazareth: 3/10, I haven’t seen any indication that things will turn around without major changes, as they continue to follow poor efforts with poor efforts.
PRESENTED BY OFF THE ROSTER
