2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

[Bill_Berg]

The interesting question now is do they fire Treliving before the season is over or not. Do you let a new guy manage the trade deadline, or let Treliving do it with his job on the line.

My guess they'll try a new coach first, handcuff Treliving at the deadline and get new guys in next season.

Of course if they start winning then everything changes, but there no evidence that's going to happen.

 

[Arn]

Is there anyone there in the hierarchy with the knowledge to realise he needs handcuffed, though?

 

[Bill_Berg]

Is there anyone there in the hierarchy with the knowledge to realise he needs handcuffed, though?

Good question. Maybe not, and even if they do know they need to handcuff him somehow, does anyone know what the handcuffs would look like. Like what specifically can he do and not do? If that path is not going to work, then what's left? Fire him in time for a new guy to be ready for the deadline, or give him free reign?

 

[cabber24]

Blow. It. Up.

Tear. It. Down.

Time to start again.

They were winning 3-1 in Game 6 against FLD in the last playoffs, and now we're tearing it down? Get real. So they crap the bed one season (yet to be determined), recoup some assets, and try again next year.

 

[cabber24]

Matthews gets paid to be a superstar and has never delivered much in the playoffs, and now he's not delivering during the regular season. If he's hurt, say so. They say he's not hurt, so fuck him, show the fuck up! All the noise goes away if he does what he's paid to do.

 

[Bill_Berg]

They were winning 3-1 in Game 6 against FLD in the last playoffs, and now we're tearing it down? Get real. So they crap the bed one season (yet to be determined), recoup some assets, and try again next year.

How can they recoup assets this year? And then why would next year be different? Everyone is a year older. JT, Tanev, OEL. These guys can't be good forever.

 

[cabber24]

How can they recoup assets this year? And then why would next year be different? Everyone is a year older. JT, Tanev, OEL. These guys can't be good forever.

If we're punting this season you could try to trade most of our forwards:

• Domi
• Maccelli
• Roy
• Jankrok
• Robertson
• Laughton
• McMann
• Benoit

AM34 improving would help next season. I am not writing him off yet. I don't know about the age argument; OEL and JT look great. Tanev is a huge hole if he cannot keep going, though, but that's why you recalibrate and try again.

 

[rdowdall]

I think this is how we can tell we are back in a bad state. We are hoping against hope that the Leafs have some sort of impact player, a diamond in the rough, somewhere in the multitude of late round picks that they have throughout the organization. This is Kessel year stuff, where we were hoping that some 3rd round center was going to be the second coming of Ryan Getzlaf to play on the first line.

 

[Bill_Berg]

If we're punting this season you could try to trade most of our forwards:

• Domi
• Maccelli
• Roy
• Jankrok
• Robertson
• Laughton
• McMann
• Benoit

AM34 improving would help next season. I am not writing him off yet. I don't know about the age argument; OEL and JT look great. Tanev is a huge hole if he cannot keep going, though, but that's why you recalibrate and try again.

I mean I like it, but that's half the team,so I like it as a step towards rebuilding. How do we trade all those guys for assets and expect to compete next year. Who replaces them? Who replaces Tanev if he's aged out.

It's not a sure thing that age catches up with people next year, but it certainly is a risk. Guys drop off quick in their 30s, and while JT had a great start, will he be able to maintain that all year and into the playoffs? And then again next year. Maybe, but it's not a sure thing. I'm not even sure it's a likely thing.

 

[cw]

I mean I like it, but that's half the team,so I like it as a step towards rebuilding. How do we trade all those guys for assets and expect to compete next year. Who replaces them? Who replaces Tanev if he's aged out.

It's not a sure thing that age catches up with people next year, but it certainly is a risk. Guys drop off quick in their 30s, and while JT had a great start, will he be able to maintain that all year and into the playoffs? And then again next year. Maybe, but it's not a sure thing. I'm not even sure it's a likely thing.

By the time the rebuilding team is starting to turn it around, a 28 year old is into his 30s.
Knies (23), Cowan (20), Robertson (24) & Maccelli (25) are the only forwards under 28
Benoit (27), Thrun (24, Rifai (27) are the only dmen under 28
Woll (27), Hildeby (24)
Pick out of that group which ones you want to keep for the rebuild and the rest can go.
Most of the team will probably be worth more in trade value this season rather than next. (I'm sure there will be a few contracts that are exceptions to that). You might want to trade the goalies because good goalies will deliver worse draft picks.

Before it comes to that this season, they'll probably have to try a new coach soon to see if anything changes before the trade deadline - which it might - the talent on the roster is better than their record. But I wouldn't waste trading any draft picks or prospects on them. They bear no resemblance to a Cup winner. Which is why GM DNA would be my first pick to go soon.

 

[Bill_Berg]

By the time the rebuilding team is starting to turn it around, a 28 year old is into his 30s.
Knies (23), Cowan (20), Robertson (24) & Maccelli (25) are the only forwards under 28
Benoit (27), Thrun (24, Rifai (27) are the only dmen under 28
Woll (27), Hildeby (24)
Pick out of that group which ones you want to keep for the rebuild and the rest can go.
Most of the team will probably be worth more in trade value this season rather than next. (I'm sure there will be a few contracts that are exceptions to that). You might want to trade the goalies because good goalies will deliver worse draft picks.

Before it comes to that this season, they'll probably have to try a new coach soon to see if anything changes before the trade deadline - which it might - the talent on the roster is better than their record. But I wouldn't waste trading any draft picks or prospects on them. They bear no resemblance to a Cup winner. Which is why GM DNA would be my first pick to go soon.

I agree with all this. I don't think the team will actually sell this year though. I think they should, but I don't think they will. I fear they will try to improve this team by spending what little futures they have left.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I think the one thing that is going to allow the Matthews stuff to fester (aside from the media crap...and this is the one area where I think the Leafs media really sucks is they try to create controversy to sell views...probably the only scenario where players are treated worse is a French Canadian player playing in Montreal who isn't the second coming of Lafleur) is what the hell is his injury.

We think its his back. I get why the team doesn't want to create a bigger target on his problems but when you make comments about him being healthy or things being fine when it clearly isn't, it will get the more casual fans frothing. He wasn't right last year and his physical metrics are worse this year.

That being said, Matthews is getting the brunt of things right now

John Tavares - 1G 2A -6 in his last 12 games
Will Nylander - 2G 7A -3 in his last 12 games
Matthew Knies - 2G 9A -4 in his last 16 games
Auston Matthews - 5G 4A -1 in his last 12 games

Noone is playing well offensively right now and Matthews is matching the goal scoring of Knies+Nylander+Tavares over this streak of play.

Knies has been hurt this year. Tavares' game fell off a cliff so it's hard to imagine he isn't playing hurt. Nylander has missed time so again its probably likely he is playing hurt.

But if everyone on the team is banging up to the point that our four best players have 10 goals in their last 52 combined games. Deal with it. Sit them. Accept that the season is an unmitigated disaster and get them fixed. If it isn't all injury then it is a complete collapse of the coaching philosophy. If the organization thinks the team is quitting on the coach...then deal with the players but we aren't fixing this. Get a coach who can work better with these players and rebuild their trade value.

Willy... 0G last 9 games.
Knies...1G last 9 games.
Tavares... 1G last 9 games.
Matthews... 5G last 9 games.

 

[cw]

I agree with all this. I don't think the team will actually sell this year though. I think they should, but I don't think they will. I fear they will try to improve this team by spending what little futures they have left.

I doubt they'll sell either. The board are probably are still hoping to count playoff money ...
If Treliving remains, he has no choice but to trade assets to try to improve their fortunes. He can't go to the MLSE board and say "I want to rebuild the DNA on this team ..." His only choice to survive is to spend what few young assets they have left to try to get them past the first round.