2026-27 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion | Official: Sundin & Chayka to lead front office

[cw]

I am going to choose to believe that the reason the Leafs are retooling is that they believe Matthews will stay. If he said he wanted out, the rebuild would have started already.

NHL.com Tkachuk committed to Senators, ‘frustrated’ by rumors of desire to be elsewhere

Tkachuk committed to Senators, ‘frustrated’ by rumors of desire to be elsewhere | NHL.com

Captain has 2 seasons left on contract, was held without point in 4-game sweep by Hurricanes

www.nhl.com

April 29, 2026
Brady Tkachuk said he’s “fully committed” to the Ottawa Senators and talk of him wanting to play elsewhere is frustrating.

“I feel like I’ve answered this hundreds of times,” Tkachuk said Wednesday. “I feel like I’ve never shown, never said, none of those things have ever come out of my mouth, and quite honestly it’s just getting frustrating. It’s becoming a distraction.

“I have been fully committed to this team, to this city and (the talk), it’s just become a distraction. Frustrating to deal with.”

Matthews doesn't have a UMT clause ("you must trademe!")
He certainly doesn't want to go thru the media circus Tkachuk or Marner went through.
So whatever he says or does, will attempt to minimize that like Tkachuk and Marner tried to do.

With the Calder, Rocket, Hart, Ted Lindsay and Olympic Gold (plus a bunch of other accolades & records), the big thing missing on his resume is a Stanley Cup.

Teams finishing 6th to 16th in the standings have about a 1% chance to win a Cup over the last 58 years.
To have a decent shot at winning a Cup, a team needs to be near the top of the standings annually.

Our team finished 28th and I think most would agree it underachieved.
But to get it into a position as a true Cup contender (positions 1-5), that's a big leap. Not only that, they have to present a plan on how they will sustain that position. That will be hard because it is one of the oldest rosters in the league and the prospect system is so barren. Players drafted now won't be making an impact in the NHL for several years. Even if Chayka is lucky enough to get it to a top 5 spot, it is very difficult to see how he will be able to keep it there. That is what Matthews advisors will be looking for.

Chayka will be looking for Matthews signature by July 1, 2027 so they will probably get a conclusion well before his contract expires.

I don't really believe Matthews has it in him to be as integral as we need him to be to win a championship. I wouldn't have been upset if he stated he wanted out and gave the Leafs time to figure out an exit that aligned with a rebuild.

I suspect by July 1, 2027 or before he'll let them know because they will have been pressing so they don't lose him for nothing.

 

[cw]

I think you make 2 good points on why they should pause on the rebuild, at least for now.

I don't think it is linear. If you are rebuilding, you orchestrate how that comes about. Part of it would be how you maximize asset return. It doesn't all have to happen in a week. It would/could transpire over seasons where one chooses when to do what. There is not the same pressure to act quickly - because they're rebuilding.

 

[cw]

Tkachuk's 4 team list was allegedly Florida, Carolina, Minnesota & Vegas. July 1 might be a challenge for Chayka because 28th place Toronto may not be a preferred destination for as many. I wonder if he'll try to do at least one more move before July 1 to try to raise his team's name on preferred destinations.

With all the excess cap money and shallow UFA market, I think we're more likely to see some offer sheets. Chayka might go in on that.

 

[bustaheims]

Yeah, Bob on a short-term deal: mildly interested. Anything over 3 years, and even that's pushing it, absolutely not.

Even on a short-term deal . . . when goalies go, it often happens quickly. Doesn't take much more than a slight reduction in reaction time for them to turn from stars to duds. I'm worried that hit Bob last season. On top if that, unless Stolarz is also getting dealt, it just recreates the goalie logjam. I'd pass completely.

 

[Arn]

I’d be interested in Hellebuyck if something could be done, I think.

But again it would be the length remaining on the deal might concern me. If it was only 2 years I’d be more keen

 

[rdowdall]

My gut feeling is that if Knies is being moved, it's happening this week. Based on the information that is circulating around, he's the chip they are dangling to see if they can get another top 10 pick. If a team isn't willing to pony that up, plus other things, then they won't do the deal.

If Rielly is moving, it could happen at any time. They may hold on to him until after free agency to see if a team is willing to pay more once most of the players have signed new contracts. They may also want to wait till after a few months into the season, to see if they can get his value up. They probably have time on their side with Rielly, and he may be able to be used to plug a hole in the season, rather than getting something futures based right now.

It's convenient to label the plan for the Leafs as a retool or a rebuild, but it probably makes more sense to say the Leafs are just trying to get better, both in the future and now. A plan may have been pitched to Matthews where it's less about winning in the next two years, and more about being really competitive for the 4 or 5 years after that. Not saying that they aren't going to try and make the playoffs next year, but they could be selling Matthews on a plan that is a year over year growth plan. The plan is also probably flexible. If they trade Knies, they probably draft a top end D-man. If they don't trade Knies, then they have their power forward in house for the next 7 years. Lets just hope they have a plan.

 

[Bender]

I feel exactly the same. It's hockey so it's fun, exciting, frustrating and all of that but it has little to do work my life after the games/ season is over. Summer's are always good win or loose. Said it many many times, I'm not getting paid to play and my name isn't going on the cup if they win so winning would be great but the journey is more important. Winning is really hard so the is are always stacked against you.

It's a bit funny to me seeing people write on a Leafs message board for 20+ years and stating that the outcomes don't matter. There's no right way to cheer and it shouldn't affect your life to a point where the team controls your happiness etc. but I'm rooting for outcomes, and truthfully if I have no cheering interest in any kind of outcome then I kind of don't care and that's not how fandom works for me, and seeing how invested people are in sports in general, lots of people also feel that way. If I just wanted an entertaining product I definitely wouldn't have been a Leafs fan for all these years.

 

[rdowdall]

It's a bit funny to me seeing people write on a Leafs message board for 20+ years and stating that the outcomes don't matter. There's no right way to cheer and it shouldn't affect your life to a point where the team controls your happiness etc. but I'm rooting for outcomes, and truthfully if I have no cheering interest in any kind of outcome then I kind of don't care and that's not how fandom works for me, and seeing how invested people are in sports in general, lots of people also feel that way. If I just wanted an entertaining product I definitely wouldn't have been a Leafs fan for all these years.

I think for me, it's the ancillary stuff that happens. Fan bases that collide, and people taking shots at one another. Those shots sometimes devolve and become personal (You're an idiot because you cheer for team x sort of thing). I don't get upset with the Leafs losing, or being stupid in a vacuum. I get upset because what it does is provide ammunition to another fan base or a group of fan bases to attack the Leaf fan base. I've never liked being picked on, and I don't tend to pick on other fan bases, because I feel like if I can't take it, then don't dish it out, but in today's world there are groups of people who don't believe in that approach. For the most part, I can ignore the noise, but when things compound, and they get worse over time, it gets harder to shut that noise out.

 

[mr grieves]

My gut feeling is that if Knies is being moved, it's happening this week. Based on the information that is circulating around, he's the chip they are dangling to see if they can get another top 10 pick. If a team isn't willing to pony that up, plus other things, then they won't do the deal.

[...]

It's convenient to label the plan for the Leafs as a retool or a rebuild, but it probably makes more sense to say the Leafs are just trying to get better, both in the future and now. A plan may have been pitched to Matthews where it's less about winning in the next two years, and more about being really competitive for the 4 or 5 years after that. Not saying that they aren't going to try and make the playoffs next year, but they could be selling Matthews on a plan that is a year over year growth plan. The plan is also probably flexible. If they trade Knies, they probably draft a top end D-man. If they don't trade Knies, then they have their power forward in house for the next 7 years. Lets just hope they have a plan.

I hope, if Knies is being traded, it's as part of something that brings back a right-handed center on a top-6 trajectory, if he's not already there. Names that popped out when filtering Puckpedia: WGP's Vilardi, OTT's Cozens, SJ's Smith, STL's Thomas or Kyrou, DAL's Borque.

I would love for the Leafs to have a homegrown #1D, but I don't think anyone they draft this week would be that until Matthews is well past his prime (i.e. starting in year 3 or so). A high upside C in his 20s can help them over the next 4-5 years.

 

[cw]

That’s what boggles my mind. Matthews is one of the best players the franchise has ever had. Until two years ago, he was a top 5 player in the world. You can bottom out and be in the draft lottery for a couple decades and not get a player as good. Not even investigating whether a big part of the problem over the last 2 seasons was the coach seems silly to me. I’m happy Matthews isn’t giving up on the Leafs as quickly as some of the team’s fans.

Matthews is not sure he's coming back: he "can't predict the future"
Apparently, the future competitiveness of the team is a concern for Matthews and the Leafs management's ability to make it a contender is difficult due to a weak UFA market and few assets available to trade according to many observers.
It is not a case of fans giving up on Matthews.
I'm sure most Leafs fans would prefer many more 60-goal seasons from Matthews.
But that is not up to the fans.
Matthews will decide whether he wants Leafs fans apparently on the basis of what Leafs management does to improve the team to be a contender.
All some Leafs fans are doing is recognizing Leafs management is in a really tough spot - trying to turn a 28th place team into a contender in a short period of time.

 

[cw]

@reporterchris Flip flop

https://twitter.com/x/status/2066971463723163927

and then

https://twitter.com/x/status/2069439667619950920

Lebrun and others think Rielly will be moved too

 

[mr grieves]

All some Leafs fans are doing is recognizing Leafs management is in a really tough spot - trying to turn a 28th place team into a contender in a short period of time.

I think, if we took a random sampling of your last 50 posts, nearly 2/3rds of them would modify the Leafs with 'a 28th place team.' I don't agree that that's what they are, and I don't think many observers would. Since that middling roster finished 28th, the Leafs dumped the coach, lucked into a first overall pick, and, in doing the sign-and-trade for the highest scoring defenseman in the UFA class, showed the ability to move decisively to address areas of longstanding need. I think their spot is a lot less tough now than it was a month ago.

 

[cw]

I think, if we took a random sampling of your last 50 posts, nearly 2/3rds of them would modify the Leafs with 'a 28th place team.' I don't agree that that's what they are, and I don't think many observers would. Since that middling roster finished 28th, the Leafs dumped the coach, lucked into a first overall pick, and, in doing the sign-and-trade for the highest scoring defenseman in the UFA class, showed the ability to move decisively to address areas of longstanding need. I think their spot is a lot less tough now than it was a month ago.

I don't think they're a 28th place team in terms of talent. They underachieved. I've said as much several times.
But for an outsider, the perception from the 28th place in the standings doesn't help - which is the context of how I wrote that post. Some folks, media or players not as familiar with the team are probably looking at the standings negatively that way. 28th place out of 32 teams doesn't look good regardless of excuses.

On the other side of that though, are my posts about how much they need to rise to be a true contender to retain Matthews. They really need to look like they will be top 8 in the worst case for the next few years to give Matthews a decent shot at a Cup.
He's the one and the smart hockey people around him who have to be convinced. Not some fans on a hockey forum.

As much as the contract will probably age very poorly, adding Raddysh helps. So does winning the lottery. So does winning the Calder Cup (to help them attract and maintain depth). And probably the coaching change. And hopefully, whatever other decent deals Chayka can pull off.

I am a Leafs fan. I hope they're a top 8 contender for the rest of my life. But realistically, they're in a very tough spot. What I don't want is to wait until the last minute to get a lone draft pick for Matthews in a sign and trade. If it has to end (and it probably will), I'd much rather a return closer to what the Sens got for Tkachuk which means they have to get this figured out sooner than later.