Leafs talk 2

08 Mar 2026 08:52:04
Well I think I figured out the Berube Head injury. They tried to play it off on a gym injury.

Turns out he was called into the office and he kind of knew bad news was coming. He sat solemnly hanging his head down and they gave him the bad news. "Craig we are going to have to Axe you!" He jolted up and said "Huh" just as he heard a swoosh and a man with a Black hood ran out the door with a bloody axe. He vowed at that moment he would make every leaf fan have the same upside down smile that resembles the scar on his forehead from that almost fateful day.

08 Mar 2026 12:49:10
Shades of Kennedy humour!
Love it!

07 Mar 2026 23:16:15
What is with all of these posts wanting Dubas and Keefe back? It has not worked out this year clearly, but at the same time it was just as bad with Shanny/Dubas and Keefe.

08 Mar 2026 12:44:41
Let's bring them back so Dubas can give Cowan $9M x 8 when his ELC is up. And we can play Keefe's style of hockey. The style that had the Devils barely make the playoffs last season and has the Devils 1 pt more than the Leafs this season. Makes sense.

08 Mar 2026 12:52:43
I am aware you two did not like Dubas and that’s both understandable and fair.

Now that two years have gone by it is okay to agree that Treliving and unfortunately Berube have done a poor job.

And then we can move on to rebuilding.

08 Mar 2026 12:59:02
RLF, your sarcasm does not become you.

You’re too smart and knowledgeable to make the statement about Cowan and Keefe, like Berube, believe in their coaching styles.

I’d rather you share your good ideas on players and how we get out of this mess.

I think it’s pretty clear that either Tre or Berube will be back so it’s water under the bridge to me.

09 Mar 2026 01:06:38
@Randy It clearly has not worked out this season. I'm not going to argue there. I don't think Tre and Berube can be brought back either, but the suggestion that Dubas and Keefe were much better by some is beyond me.

09 Mar 2026 12:17:21
RSears
I wasn't responding to you, I was responding to LL's post specifically about not getting all the talk about wanting Dubas and Keefe back. I thought my post was relevant, since I cannot understand someone wanting those two back either. If you look at the results, Tre and Berube got the team farther in one year than Keefe and Dubas ever did. One win away from the Conference final. This year aside, it's still a fact.

Do I expect both gone? Yes. I think Berube is a foregone conclusion. Tre is still a possibility of returning, I guess.

There may have been some sarcasm in my post, but it wasn't aimed at anyone on here, it was in agreement with LL, so not sure the issue. Ironically, I thought you too smart and knowledgeable to want Dubas and Keefe back, but I wasn't referring to you directly.

09 Mar 2026 13:36:49
Has nothing to do with Dubas or Keefe. I think they are just better then what we have. I don’t want any of the old or current management or coaching staff, but like I said, I think Brad gets pushed to president.

He’s good at negotiating contracts so that valuable, then bring in someone who’s good at acknowledging talent, but the way MLSE has worked the last little bit I think they promote an AGM so no added money.

09 Mar 2026 21:11:09
Agree with each of you.

Neither tandem is what the Leafs need at the moment.

And RLF, you can deflect my comment back at me because there was some sarcasm in asking for a return of Dubas and Keefe.

But I will say it reflected more my complete frustration with not winning a Cup in the last 8-10 years. I honestly expected a couple.

As to GMs, I think I’d prefer an ex-NHL player with GM experience like Ron Francis. His GM record with the Hurricanes and Kraken was technically not stellar but that’s not always entirely the fault of the GM.



Another choice, dare I say it, is Wes Clark or Gord Pridholm, but Dubas critics would probably not support these choices.

Not sure I like any of the “revolving door” of GMs like Ken Holland or others like that, but he’d do a great job, I believe.

I won’t bother with the coach because the GM will.

In any event, my only hockey time is now on this site only to keep my brain going.

11 Mar 2026 14:09:01
RSears. No worries. We are all frustrated I would think.
I think most thought we would at least have a shot at a Cup or make it to the Conference finals a couple of times.
Leafs first couple years with Shanny, Dubas and the "core 4(+Rielly)" was an experiment of an ideology that the Cup can be one in a different fashion than the past. That speed and skill will prevail. They continued that through the start of JT's and Keefe's tenure. By the time they figured out their ideology is flawed, it was too late because of all the cap money the had tied up in the core 4+, they could add the right mix of talent.
In comes Tre and Berube and they try and create that balance, but the core has had so many playoff loses, they seem broken and completely lack confidence.

It has been a cluster since day one of this era.
Need to break up the core even more imo.

06 Mar 2026 23:15:17
I know Treviling came in cleaning Dubas mess. But this is an absolute disaster. Get rid of him immediately. We are cooked

06 Mar 2026 21:49:54
I was out all day and just got back.
Went to Trade Tracker and felt some excitement to read what we’d added only to be utterly shocked.

Really a tough pill to swallow. Glad the MLB will be starting soon; hopefully the Jays will help me forget this pathetic result.

Give us back Dubas and Keefe please!

06 Mar 2026 22:32:25
At least Dubas knows how to sell off players.

07 Mar 2026 14:31:05
Dubas and Keefe? Lol. Geez.

06 Mar 2026 21:55:20
Treliving has set the Leafs back a decade. What the hell was that, sat around for how long just to acquire picks for next year?! If he stays on with this team idk if I can watch. Just awful management, lost two first and two prospects last year for nothing!

06 Mar 2026 21:45:08
I think "set them back a decade" is a bit dramatic. Those returns are not great, but it's pretty much what I figured. He overpaid for a couple guys and now can't find someone to take them. It isn't like he traded Mathews, Knies and Cowan for a 7th.

06 Mar 2026 22:31:13
@LL Ok, I’ll play ball. How do they compete for a cup in the next 5 years? This team is t getting better through the draft or free agency. We already know they stink at trading, so in two years time if it’s anything like Marner, Matthews could walk for nothing. Guys who are half the player Laughton is got better returns… idk I don’t see how this team is t rebuilding by next year; that’s what I meant by set back a decade because that’s how long it took the first time.

And you watch, they will trade those picks for bottom six guys this summer

07 Mar 2026 00:03:21
@Goat I don't think they do. I would personally pull the chute and trade everybody for a full rebuild before it's too late. Maybe I didn't articulate it well enough.

Getting back 3 firsts instead of what they got doesn't change anything in my mind.

They weren't going to contend with 3 late firsts vs 1 first and other later picks. They still need to ask everybody on the team where they will accept a trade because the window is now closed.

07 Mar 2026 00:05:08
Agree Goat.
He has “cooked his goose” and Berube.
I’d gas them both NOW!

07 Mar 2026 10:26:54
@LL I agree, but I mean if he could've got 3 firsts they could've used that in a trade this summer to get back an impactful player, but all the top picks he got were for next year.

07 Mar 2026 21:12:19
@Goat The issue isn't which players, it's the core. It's been 10 years and nothing changed. That is a long, long time. I wouldn't say it matters at all. I'd move on from the core before it is too late and you lose them for nothing.

Only way I don't is if Mathews is willing to sign for 8 years at a decent number (No way that happens).

07 Mar 2026 21:39:30
@LeafsLife. You are right. The way the salary cap and hence salaries in general are soaring. Even with Matthews numbers going down he is still going to want his salary in 2 years to go up.

07 Mar 2026 22:57:11
@Suffering That's my issue. Mathews is probably going to command 17-18m on a max term deal. Open market. If he is willing to sign max term at say, 14 I'd say ok, quick retool. Otherwise, this is not working. Just move him.

08 Mar 2026 22:31:23
LL
I think $17m x 8yrs for Matthews is not at all realistic nor is $14 after this season and last.
But if you’re right, a big Yes from me on a trade this summer.

09 Mar 2026 21:00:38
@ goat. Yes they can turn it around quicker. They need to clean house in Management and coaching staff. Then Maximize their prospects and draft picks with a astute GM not the current one. Look at the Anaheim model. 4 years ago they had a record of 23-47-12 and look at that organization now. That "Little ball of hate" Pat Verbeek has done a great Job. When they hired Greg Cronin to coach for 3 years, I think the plan was to have a University guy coach during that path of players coming and going, buch the way it is in University.

He knew how to relate and teach but knew in the long run when they were ready he would not be the coach that took them to the next level. Now Joel Quenneville is at the Helm. That is how a rebuild should be done. Perfect blueprint.

06 Mar 2026 12:13:36
I absolutely love what Buffalo went after this deadline. Exactly what I’ve been asking Toronto to do all year. Get some toughness, character, guys that stick up for teammates. They went out and got 3 of them. Well done to the GM of Buffalo! 👏 They might go far this year.

06 Mar 2026 16:17:24
It’s meh. I think they need to swing bigger up front to make it worth anything. Sure, they added size but they added a few slow guys to a fast team.

06 Mar 2026 20:29:03
Carrick is a guy that will do whatever it takes to win and for his team while playing a defensive role and killing penalties. He will block any shot and will fight anyone in the league if they hit one of his teammates. That goes far in a dressing room and on the ice.

Other two guys are built the same way on defence. Getting these players makes them a fairly complete team with how their offence and special teams are playing. Hopefully goaltending holds up for them like it has been.

06 Mar 2026 01:04:44
I think MLSE should tell Pelly to hire a President of hockey operations.
Pelly doesn't want to do that position or make those decisions.

Toronto could hire Doug Gilmour or Mark Messier for that position. (Hockey Guys)

Then fire Treliving and all of the coaching staff.

Ryan Jankowski from Seattle would be a great young educated GM or Prinium who is the current Assistant GM.

I think Matthews will ask to be traded this summer and will be traded to Los Angeles or Utah.

06 Mar 2026 11:46:30
I do agree the entire coaching staff should go. I can honestly see Treliving being promoted to president and Pridham becoming the GM.

04 Mar 2026 22:10:03
So I just realized. That if we miss the playoffs (and only a miracle will stop that from happening). Is this the start of a Mitch Marner type, curse of the Banbino. lol I just realized that since Mitch was a pro the Leafs had never missed the playoffs. HMMMMM

I was talking to a buddy that was at a few Vegas games this year and he said Marner look fresh at the end of both games he was at. He said that Bruce Cassidy uses him sparingly on the penalty kill and he is playing a couple minutes a game less than in Toronto total ice time.

Cassidy probably after coaching against Toronto in Boston saw how year after year No matter who was coaching was burning Marner out in the regular season and especially the playoffs. Running him out for regular Shift, Number one Power Play, and Number one penalty Kill unit. That caught up to him as each series went on.

04 Mar 2026 21:28:39
@1967 I've had a different thought in it.

Yes, Mitchy's TOI is less, but he looks refreshed because he isn't in Toronto. Media and fans aren't for everybody in some places. Willy seems to love having the spotlight on him, while Mitch not so much.

04 Mar 2026 21:45:59
There is that too for sure. In Vegas he is just a regular guy when he is at a gas station or the grocery store. The majority of people there would have no clue who he is.

04 Mar 2026 22:04:42
Do we actually believe Mitch didn't ask for the responsibility and ice time in Toronto? I would wager he would have taken whatever they would have given him. Mitch was a whiner.

He would relish being given that responsibility as he felt he deserved it. Maybe in Vegas they tell him how it is. The pressure in TO is more for sure, but so is the glory when they do well.

04 Mar 2026 23:47:44
How do you know that he felt he deserved it? Kind of a blanket statement without actual evidence to that. Regardless, it is a coach's job to manage his best players ice time to keep them fresh. I know some of the guys that did some work on his Cottage and they said he was a very down to earth guy with no airs at all and kind of a quiet kid. To be honest I don't blame him for leaving at all. First he gets carjacked a few years ago and the Crown drops the case. So no closure there for him on that. Then after last year's playoffs some knob posts his address online. Crazy thing is... he was vilified for lack of production. Last 5 playoffs Nylander was 43 points in 42 games, Marner was 42 points in 45 games and Matthews was 40 points in 43 games.

All 3 were productive at roughly a point a game pace. What truthfully cost the Leafs last year in the playoffs was these stats. McMann, Lorentz, Laughton, Jarnkrok and Holmberg: 0 goals, 9 points, combined -17. The big 3 last year were 11 goals, 39 points, combined -4. Tavares was -6 by himself and no-one called for his head or, for that matter, the majority of the bottom 6 until this year at this year's trade deadline. It just seems though we always try to find a whipping boy to blame in this town, sometimes justly and other times unwarranted. The blame still lies fully on the shoulders of Treliving, who just did not assemble the right supporting cast other than Max Pacioretty. I was happy for Max; he went out on a good note with his head held high.

05 Mar 2026 01:01:46
A lot to unwrap here. So, Mitch a public figure in a social media society is nice to guys building his cottage, making sure he doesn't say or do anything stupid and that makes him a down to earth guy and not entitled? Lol. Ok. Sure.

You really need proof he was a whiner? Ever here him whine to the refs constantly in many games. Ever see him throw little fits at the bench. Remember Willy telling him "this ain't junior" while he threw a temper tantrum on the bench. He yelled at his team mates to wake up while he himself sucked that game. You know who throws fits, guys who have trouble when things aren't going well or perfectly for them. Guys who feel things just should go right for them. ie, entitled.

Entitlement? How about holding out for almost $11M and thinking he was worth what Matthews gets.

How about never saying "he" sucked. He tried to lead and wanted it, not hard to tell that's true. Wouldn't you be upset if he didn't want the responsibility? Why is pointing it out a bad thing?

"We are treated like gods" and then saying he is leaving because it isn't safe in Toronto. Saying he loved it in Toronto, meanwhile asking other players what they thought about Vegas, then only accepting a deal to Vegas. Nixing a deal at last year's TDL, meanwhile knowing he was leaving. Yea, Mitch is a great guy who we can't blame for leaving. Not.

How come you don't point out Mitch's games 5, 6 and 7 stats? He had 9 points in 21 of those games. 0 goals and 5 assists in the last 18. Should we go on?

05 Mar 2026 04:35:49
This whole "But the stars had points" narrative is asinine. All of them have been horrendous in the playoffs on a whole. I remember one and only one series where I thought Mathews looked like he wanted it.

Nothing before or after and I have yet to see that one performance from Willy or Mitch. Before recent years I would have said Mo was the best playoff leader as he always showed up when it counted.

05 Mar 2026 19:11:34
It's the old damned if they do, damned if they don't. If they score the points and lose it's their fault. If they don't have the points and we lose it's even more their fault. Traditionally the teams that win the Cup have a GM and Coach that have a gameplan to be able to throw out 4 more evenly balanced lines that what we have here. That is partly a personnel issue with we know lies right at Treliving's feet, and partly coaching staff that need to find a way to get mismatches.

For instance. Throwing Matthews or Marner when we had him or Nylander on a 3rd line rather than loading the front two lines would have been better against Florida and sticking to the same old. We need a shake up from the top down. I do give props where they are due though. Treliving pulled off a nice trade with Colorado with Roy today.

06 Mar 2026 12:53:58
It's not about points. It's about effort. And if they want to be paid like the guys that need to come through when it counts, then they need to come through when it counts. They don't.
They took Florida to game 7. Games 5 and 7 wouldn't have been helped by spreading out the talent over 3 lines. The only coach and GM to get this group that far, is the current ones.
Call it like it was. Games 5 and 7 lost the series and the players sucked in those games.

They looked as scared in those games as kids out trick or treating on Halloween approaching a haunted house. This is more about character and not being overwhelmed in big moments. It's about a mentality of not being denied over afraid to make a mistake and playing timid.
Why do they look better in International competition? Because they don't have to be "The" guys on the team. They are surrounded by the best with guys that do/will step up, so they can relax and play.

03 Mar 2026 23:33:14
So what do the Leafs do well? Very little. The media surrounding this team is why we don’t win cups. We can’t recruit top end players cause nobody wants to be here under the microscope. What we can do is fire Craig. As much as I love him, the stars on this team were way better with a run and gun style. Freedom to be creative worked.

If you can get a first for McMann or OEL then perhaps makes sense, but you still have to replace whatever you give up and it’ll cost more than keeping them. Beyond that I don’t have an issue with this team.

Nobody is up the Panthers a** about missing the playoffs because of the injuries. Well the Leafs have had the same luck. How many more games would we have won with Tanev, Nylander, both goalies not missing time? I think they need a new coach and GM, play the kids from here on in and sign a top six guy like Tuck and stop trying to find a guy to play with Morgan. Either get rid of him or sign a UFA top tier defender and move him down the line up.

To sum it up this team is fine, just players in the wrong spot, bad luck and missing a piece or two.

03 Mar 2026 23:57:43
@Lgm Although I agree Berube probably needs to go and I still liked the hiring, who can "Run N' Gun" now? They are old and slow.

04 Mar 2026 12:41:39
I pretty much agree with what you are saying as I wrote much the same including the Panthers part a little while ago. The part I am not with you on is the run and gun like LL said. It has not worked when the playoffs have rolled around. Leafs aren't the only ones who have played that style without playoff success.


Management has to make some serious decisions about the star makeup of this team. Rielly obviously needs a change of scenery and they have to decide whether Matthews and Nylander are a pair they think they can win with or does one of them (or both) need to go.

04 Mar 2026 12:50:29
@RLF, Move in from them both at this point and start rebuilding. Problem is Brad Treliving is the most boring GM in the league and has not made a significant move since he has been here. Doesn’t have the cohonas to pull it off.

04 Mar 2026 13:16:43
Clarky. Maybe he doesn't, or maybe there isn't anything on the table for anyone of significance that he wouldn't get ripped for.
I mean, if you were the GM of another team and saw how badly the stars on this team collapsed in game 5 and 7 last season, would you offer the moon for these guys?
You may say, just get what you can and start over, but if Tre does that, he will get roasted in the media and by the fans and be blamed for setting the organization back for years and years to come.

01 Mar 2026 18:53:28
Fire Berube and hire Deboer.

01 Mar 2026 20:20:48
Keep Berube until year's end now. No reason to get a new coach bump this late in the year.

28 Feb 2026 16:49:04
SO I know leaf fans get sick of hearing and reading Mangianpane and his contract for cap relief for Edmonton. Hey it isn't just the Leafs. every team linked to Edmonton it is his contract that is included in every deal. They are so far against the cap that truthfully it is at the point he actually might a trade deadline day deal to a team just to take his contract from them and they will be desperate enough to do that with a 1st in 2027 just so they have room for salary to actually do a deal with another team.

02 Mar 2026 21:56:58
The one issue I see with a lot of trades out there is assets. Teams like the Oilers are basically as dry as the Leafs are because they've been going all in for years now.

If the Oilers get cap relief is shipping out Mangiapane for a 1st, what assets do they have to acquire a player to use the cap space?

02 Mar 2026 22:11:22
Agreed LL. If Edm attach a 1st to move Mangi, then they lose the biggest trade asset to add a player. Have to move him in a deal they give the 1st+ likely as well to get something they want.

03 Mar 2026 14:18:15
@ LeafsLife. Did you think I meant trading Mangianpane for a 1st? I was saying that for a team to take him so they have cap room to sign a player they are aquiring from that team they need to attach a 1st round pick.

04 Mar 2026 04:35:42
@1967, No I understand and would actually go for that, but the Oilers have very few assets. If they send a 1st+mangy for cap space, it won't be easy to add.