Leafs talk 2

03 Feb 2026 01:24:16
Can I make sense of this please, if everyone is saying it’s a retool and not a rebuild then why the heck are we trading McMann? We are going to overpay to get a guy just like him. This guy has heart, speed, size plays the right f*ing way. At not even 30 and if retool is in the plans, I’m building around McMann, Knies, Cowan, Robertson and maybe keep Laughton as we can use a good mentor for the young guys coming up. Get a package together for Nylander, Matthews and Mo.

03 Feb 2026 13:12:02
A good question I think Clarky.

Retools are intended to be faster as you know and often involve securing players with term through trades.

Rebuilds focus more on draft picks which take longer to reap a benefit.

So I think you’re right if the Leafs trade McMann for ONLY picks. It’s a rebuild.

It’s perhaps only semantics as well. Getting back future help for a good player.

Again for me, trading McMann will hurt short-term but might help as soon as next year if our return helps next year. And we also try to resign McMann.

03 Feb 2026 16:13:12
If retooling, I would be doing my best to re-sign McMann and Laughton, but I need to know that before the TDL. Can't have them both walk with no return. Move out other UFA's that aren't likely to be re-signed like Jarnkrok. Get a 4th or 5th and call it a day. May get a good offer on Roy or Carlo, If it makes sense, I'd move either of those two as well. It's Robertson or Maccelli and not both for me. One needs to go either now or in the summer. Goalies - Unless someone offers big for Stolarz, figure it out in the summer. Domi etc as well. The Matthews, Domi, McMann line is not a bad line. They are often the most dangerous. The problem is how little the 2nd does without Willy and how little the 3rd line does on too many nights.

02 Feb 2026 12:09:53
Just a couple of thoughts about securing a bottom-5 and retaining our 1st in 2026.

First, while I think Cowan will be a decent L2 contributor with some time on L1, I’d send him to the AHL for the year and get plenty of opportunity to learn how to play against men at key points in a game.

I’d give full-time L4 duties to Quillan for sure and have him replace Jarnkrok. Jarnkrok won’t be back.

I’d also see what Bo Groux (? ) and Borja Valis can do. Give them both a true test and chance to see what they can do. Is Groux another McMann and can Valis drive the net with power in the NHL.

02 Feb 2026 18:13:15
Agreed with all of this. Especially Quillan. I really like the way he plays.

30 Jan 2026 23:44:24
This team is an utter disgrace.

Fire Mr Boston pizza, hire mark hunter as new gm.

Burn this rubbish to the ground trade anyone of value for picks and prospects. Hire deboer and send Berube packing!

**** this rubbish!

30 Jan 2026 23:25:54
Another Mark Hunter post lol.

I seriously don't get it. Why is Mark Hunter the greatest GM in NHL history?

30 Jan 2026 03:35:28
Trade everyone you can for prospects and draft picks, fire Treliving and beg Mark Hunter to come back and become the GM. Shanahan screwed us over with that let go! Dubas traded the cupboards for players that had no term and left the second they could. Treliving traded prospects and draft pics for players with term at least but gave up a lot to get them. Hasn’t paid off. Echos his Tkachuk trade. Our window has closed.

30 Jan 2026 12:00:10
Tkatchuk trade was lauded as wizardry at the time. I can't fault Tre there.

What's with some people and Mark Hunter? I don't get it. It's like some people see an alternate universe where everything went perfectly because it was Hunter instead of Dubas.

30 Jan 2026 17:10:00
Tkachuk also insisted on a trade and would only go to Florida.

01 Feb 2026 21:08:20
As someone in Calgary, the thoughts regarding tkachuk was someone gm would give a first and a prospect for him. Huberdeau coming off a 110 point season was seen as a grand slam. The tkachuk only would go to the panthers also wasn't really true. He wanted to go to an American team that was a playoff team. The reigning presidents trophy winners just fit that bill. Still it went down as an awful trade, but rear view is always 20-20 right?

02 Feb 2026 17:40:12
Did Tkachuk not publicly thank Tre after the trade for making it happen as Florida was the only place he wanted to go. I thought he did.

30 Jan 2026 01:49:34
Watching Bruins vs Flyers tonight and seeing Minton and Grebenkov light it up I sure hope Treleving gets fired before he trades anymore of our prospects away !

28 Jan 2026 19:06:21
Time to talk about the REAL elephant in the room. Yes, McCabe has been playing awful by his standards and we have injuries etc. The coach and GM are also getting major blame etc.
To me, the real elephant in the room is that this is a team that do not believe in themselves. I know sone will say "You can't know that. " And true, I cannot say for certain, but there are typical indicators when a team doesn't believe in themselves, and the Leafs display them.

1. Too many times the other team scores at the start of a period or end of a period. Generally at the start of the period, Leafs are timid, don't want to make a mistake and therefore let the other team take it to them. At the end of the period, they play "hold-on" hockey and just try to defend. Both those scenarios can, and often do, indicate a lack of confidence

2. Going into the 3rd with a lead they sit back and just try to defend. Confident teams try and put the other team away. Teams that lack belief, just try to hold on and defend.

3. Body language. They can say they have believe in themselves, but their body language often looks like defeat. They rarely look angry at the other team, instead they look frustrated and defeated.

4. Double covering. Too many times a Leaf leaves their own coverage in front of their net to help another Leaf they think is in trouble behind the net. That's panic. Instead of protecting the danger area, they double the guy in the non-danger area. NHL pros don't do that when they are playing confidently because the non-danger guy doesn't worry them as much as the guy in front.

5. Slow to react and read plays. The Leafs as a team I don't think are slow, but their reactions and reads are. That often happens when you second guess if you should or should not. When a team is confident and cohesive, they know what to do and where to be. The Leafs are often a split second too late and a step behind. It's not a speed issue, it is a puck watching issue. You watch the puck too much when you fear who has it is the danger and not where it will end up. It's the guy cross seam for an open look at the net is the danger and they are often too late to see it.

Anyhow. Change the coach and GM if it will actually help. I don't think it will though. Can they reset during the Olympic break. I guess it's possible. But they will be very fragile if things don't go really well after they return from the break.

28 Jan 2026 19:29:20
I think you have accurately captured the reality of our plight.
Unfortunately I see no reset in sight so tear it down and get back what you can.
As a strategy I might favour players already drafted in the last 2 or 3 years to shorten the rebuild.
Also focus on UFAs that are not past 30yo.

28 Jan 2026 21:35:50
I really don't have much to add here. Well put.

This is not a situation I see getting better with the current "leadership" or Berube (although I think he's checked out as well) .

I would bring in a new coach, try and retool on the fly for one year and if it does not work, then pull the chute and just say it's a rebuild.

29 Jan 2026 08:54:54
Hard to disagree I think leafs should leave the coaching staff intact for the rest of the year then replace them all in the summer. Fire tre now and get the new guy in before the deadline or have the 5 assistant gms do the job.

29 Jan 2026 12:32:04
I said earlier that Berube’s future rests solely on whether the Leafs keep Tre.
All GMs pick their coach.

28 Jan 2026 16:57:06
1. Fire Brad promote Pridham
2. Trade and trade,
Carlo costed a 1st and a prospect
Detroit is looking for a right d man
Laughton costed the same, hopefully a 1st and something
OEL the way he is playing should get a first and prospect
Benoit pick or 2
Jarnkrok anything
Domi take please
Stolarz a team at the deadline may over pay
McMann should be able to get something-Edmonton?
Get rid of Machelli,
IF this can be done should be enough to tank into bottom 5, getting 1st back from Boston
Keep Robertson his bro may come aboard

I do not know who will take these guys but they got a try. Where’s trader Cliff.

28 Jan 2026 10:01:43
This is the list of players I’d like to move to actually change our identity. Not say that, then go and sign Maccelli .

Matthews - he is not resigning here anyway. Get a package for him

Nylander - not gonna win the SC with one dimensional players and Willy is the definition of that.

Domi - inconsistency is his nemesis. Oh ya and defensive play.

Maccelli - never liked this pick up. Played better recently but still would be useless in a playoff series

Reilly - no explanation needed
OEL - love him but with his age and us not going anywhere might as well get something back of value now.
McCabe - not sure if he has had too many concussions but he has become a turnover machine.
Tanev - don’t think we can move that contract.
Carlo - I’d trade if you got some decent value back considering he cost us a 1st and Minten.

Stolarz or Woll in the off-season make the trade. I just want to see if Stolly gets back to how he was playing last year (lights out)

28 Jan 2026 12:49:06
If you are completely rebuilding then that would be the way to go. Might as well add McMann and Roy as well to get assets.

28 Jan 2026 19:29:46
I’m in!

28 Jan 2026 22:32:59
I’m not adding McMann. Why is everyone adding McMann, I do not get it. Yes I know he is due for a raise but he deserves it. He has been making peanuts these last two years. Berube doesn’t use him nowhere near as much as he should. How is one of the fastest players in the league (with great work ethic) not on PK, 3 on 3 and barely in PP? He is misused and if we trade him some other team is gonna use him how they should and he will be putting up 30+ goals each year and 50 points while playing the RIGHT way not the Nylander way.

29 Jan 2026 02:04:15
Clarky. If you are rebuilding by selling off basically the whole team, why keep McMann? He will be on a bottom feeder for what good years he has left. I have been the biggest McMann supporter on here and if we are going scorched earth, even if would trade him for the assets coming back.

29 Jan 2026 13:47:10
I will add this. Trade all those guys and what incentive does McMann have to re-sign when they won't even likely be a playoff team for at least another 2-3 years? He will be 30 this year, his time to win is running out. As much as I like McMann and Laughton, it's not like they are going to be your two top players you can build a team around. He also has not said he wants to re-sign. He said he is open to it and likes it here, but will trust his agents advice on whether to re-sign or test the market.

28 Jan 2026 03:17:03
Ok, I liked the Berube signing, but it's time to throw him out the door. That's the only meaningful change you can make and I also have not liked his decisions for awhile now.

28 Jan 2026 08:20:24
It’s so odd how he went from switching the lines every period to not making any adjustments at all almost like he’s given up.

28 Jan 2026 12:32:02
Honestly, at this point, I don't see the point in firing Berube unless you believe the team is a coach away from going 20-9 for the rest of the season.
His message is true. It's their mindset in too often not wanting to play an in your face, pressure, physical game. Until they stop stupid mistakes, the puck is going to end up in the back of their net. They are not built to play run and gun which only works in the regular season anyway. Woll was not good last night, which didn't help.
My biggest complaint is that 3rd line. I know some of you really like or liked it. I never did. Roy was excellent last game, looked like the guy I thought we were getting, which hasn't been often enough this year. Robertson has been fairly invisible again lately. Cowan makes way too many mistakes with the puck. Not a good 3rd line. It's like the 2nd line you would see on a team that sucks going through a complete rebuild.
You fire the coach and the players win. You are telling them that we will find a guy that coaches the way YOU want to play, which barely got them out of the first round once. Just leave it for the rest of the season and reset in the off-season imo.

28 Jan 2026 19:31:26
If the upper echelon have confidence in Treliving then Bérubé will stay.
If not Bérubé will bite the dust as well.

28 Jan 2026 03:55:15
Hell, Buffalo fired their GM why don't we.

He is a useless piece of rubbish and has no idea what he is going.

He is supposed to make the team better not f. king worst.

Treliving your fired and take that coaching staff with you

Pelly do your job and hire a start hockey person for GM.

LET THE NEW GM GET RID OF THESE USELESS BUMS LIKE Rielly, MATTHEWS, NYLANDER, DOMI AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE!

START OVER!

27 Jan 2026 15:34:41
Bit of a rant/ take here but I think the leafs would be in a better position if dubas was still the gm…

Here why we all know why he was fired. Because shanahan has a big ego and he wanted to move marner. What that trade looks like idk but ultimately it was the right move to do going forward… under dubas we went through years of the core four which he wears 100% but he was able to find value contracts.

But I think we can agree that his philosophy on how to build a winner had changed by the end look at what he did the year he got canned brought in oreilly accari at 50% retained and it cost two nothing prospects 1st 2nd and 3rd then he grabbed McCabe and lafferty for a 1st and 2nd and two nobodies then also added schenn for peanuts. those were not dubas type guys but he adjusted and to this day that was the strongest lineup during the core 4 era and it’s not even close.

Fast forward to today we bring in tre he brings in a few guys half of them don’t even play and the current theme is to bring in players that are older past their primes and we signed them to multi year deals in hopes that they are good in the short term we let Mitch walk for basically nothing if you want to compare it to what the return should’ve/ could’ve been and while I like some of the moves the guys he brought in are all the same type of player for the most part bigger slower defensive minded. and we have seen what that has done to them best example was minny one dpairing crippled the leafs because they couldn’t keep up. So I guess what I’m saying was they shouldn't of let marner walk and let dubas try and correct his mess a bit… but also not go from fast skilled to basically the complete opposite they need to blend the two together.

At this point tree is gone along with the entire coaching staff sell off some guys and try and be aggressive in the offseason.

27 Jan 2026 17:57:59
In all fairness, if Pitt was bottom of the League this year, I doubt any thinks this way. And lets remember, Dubas was planning on selling off this year and Crosby and company changed that possibly. It was Dubas who made a bunch of bad signings and trades when he had got the reigns in Pitt.

Saying we should have kept Dubas, who is now getting lucky in Pitt and fire Tre because he has really been unlucky this year, seems like revisionist history. Leafs have not been healthy since the season started. Tanev out almost all year. No one thought that would be the case. Nylander has missed time. Stolarz, Joshua, Laughton and Carlo have missed significant time. None of them are old guys. Matthews, for whatever reason had a horrible start and poor last year as well.

How was Dubas going to fix Matthews all of a sudden lack of scoring the last year +? Have you really looked at the roster the last season Dubas was in charge. Woll and Samsonov in net. Liljegren, Brodie, Timmins, Gio, Rielly and Holl on D. Kerfoot and Kampf playing 15 mins a night. Engvall and ZAR in the bottom 6. The guy who also gave us Malgin for that year. We needed Matt Murray to play games because Dubas thought Samsonov was a #1 goalie and he stunk.

As for Marner, Dubas left suddenly when the Leafs thought he was staying and they got Tre about a month before Marner's NMC kicked in. Why didn't Dubas trade him before he left? After he is long gone there is a report he wanted to trade Marner. Let's remember, Dubas himself said his biggest regret was the Malgin trade. He didn't say his biggest regret was keeping the core 4 together. It was him who said "We can and we will. " It is doubtful he would have traded Marner before the NMC he gave Marner was going to kick in. And if you believe Shanny wouldn't let him, then you have to believe he wouldn't let Tre either. Although, we do know Tre tried to trade Marner when it was clear Marner was leaving, and Marner wouldn't waive.

I think you are reaching here big time in regards to Dubas. Tre was also the one in charge last year when the Leafs took Florida to game 7 in the 2nd round.

27 Jan 2026 18:41:19
@RLF I respect your opinion but saying it was a reach is your opinion yes the injury bug is unlucky and I’m not saying everything dubas did was great but like I pointed out he adapted weather you believe dubas had total autonomy to make deals or not shanahan wouldn’t let his boys go as you stated dubas wanted to tear the pens down… after not making the playoffs for x amount of year and and aging team I think it was the right thing but Crosby didn’t want that so he bought some value contracts look at the season mantha and brazeau are having that was what dubas thrived at I’m not saying dubas was perfect but treliving hasn’t had a resume of success either and I think the leafs have turned into a version of the flames not as bad… but there’s still time I guess my worry is that treliving will not sell and this team will go no where and Matthews will walk for nothing just like Mitch.

27 Jan 2026 21:40:09
Goat. I respect your opinion as well. Facts are facts though. There is no proof Dubas wanted to trade Marner and was fired because of it. Plus, Pitt had just missed the playoffs for the 1st time in a while when Dubas took over. Most of us thought what Tre built for this year was really good and better than anything Dubas had done.
It just seems your post comes from recency bias and what looks like revisionist history.

In Toronto, Dubas was offered a new contract, so Shanny wasn't intending on firing him. Dubas apparently came back wanting more money and autonomy (Shanny denies it was about autonomy) . Now, does that mean Dubas definitely wanted to move Marner? No, but he wanted to do whatever he wanted and not answer to anyone I guess if autonomy is believed to be true. Was he changing his ways? Maybe some.
Yes, at the deadline in T. O. he grabbed vets with some grit at the end. Didn't retain any though. They walked.

In Pitt he signed Ryan Graves at 6X$4.5M and Jarry 5X$5.375M. He just gave Lizotte 3X$2.25M. Other than that he re-signed Sid, which wouldn't have been too hard. Others are just 1 year deals and yes, he bargain bin shops well. Doesn't look much different than what he did on Toronto to me.

He traded for Dumba. He traded Glass for a guy not even in the NHL. He traded Guentzal and Smith for pretty much what turned out to be nothing. That's not good. He traded for Karlsson, which has worked out well for him. Who has he really signed or acquired that shows he has really changed?

No one picked Pitt to do well this year and Pitt was apparently selling assets, but they have overachieved. That selling off was said to have come from Dubas, so he didn't even believe in the team he built for this year. So yes, I would call that lucky and not skill. If Pitt sucks next year, is Dubas still the guy we should have kept?

Tre has got his teams farther in the playoffs than Dubas has, so if we are looking at success, Tre has him beat. Tre made it to the 2nd round twice in Calgary and once in Toronto. Dubas has made the 2nd round once.

28 Jan 2026 02:13:04
@Goat i really don't see this the same way. Dubas had no way of knowing that goaltending tandem would catch fire or that the big senior citizens in Pitts would all look 25 again.

Most things Dubas has done over there have looked horrible imo.