The Toronto Maple Leafs sit towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with no real direction to give fans a reason to believe in this roster and trust the management staff. The Maple Leafs are 24th in the league, but if they finish 28th, they will keep their first-round pick. The last time the Maple Leafs missed the postseason was 2015-16; however, that season was different because they had reason to believe. They finished dead last in the NHL, then won the draft lottery and selected Auston Matthews. The year prior, they drafted Mitch Marner 4th overall and William Nylander 7th overall in 2014; alongside Morgan Rielly, there was reason for optimism. This year has been filled with disappointments, paired with little to no prospects and draft capital. It is tough to see where the Maple Leafs go from here. How the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently built Luckily for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they have superstar talent in Auston Matthews and William Nylander to build around, along with John Tavares and Matthew Knies providing a great duo on each line. The Maple Leafs have several unrestricted and restricted free agents and depth players who could provide value for the future, but they have also been part of the issue. Matias Maccelli is a player that the Maple Leafs should look to extend, as he has been a strong player with Auston Matthews as of late, and is a player who can provide depth scoring beyond the stars. Max Domi remains a player who doesn't seem to have a clear role within the lineup. He has played strongly with Matthews on the top line at times, but hasn't found a way to contribute anywhere else throughout the lineup. With three more years on his contract, it would take a lot to move him, but something the Maple Leafs need to do moving forward. When looking at the remainder of the lineup, especially on the blueline, it is in dire need of a shakeup. Morgan Rielly has been at the forefront of this as he has struggled mightily and is on pace for one of the worst seasons of his career. Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have been players Craig Berube has been able to trust and lead the Maple Leafs' defensive core. The downside to this is that they are both up there in age, and it's tough to tell how much longer this will be effective. Brad Treliving will have to make a tough decision in the offseason regarding Chris Tanev, as he hasn't played this season, and with his age becoming a factor and multiple years remaining on his deal, it may be time to find a way to move on from his contract. Brad Treliving will give Leafs fans answers soon Brad Treliving and the rest of the staff will have a very important offseason, and truly need to figure out the direction they want to take moving forward. Although it could be a tough decision to move along with a three to four-year rebuild may be the best fit for how this roster is currently built. Leafs fans will see where they decide to go over the course of the next few seasons.

Scott Laughton made his Los Angeles Kings debut on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, just one day after being dealt from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hot start in Los Angeles for Scott Laughton Laughton tied the game at 2 in the second period, as he spun from the right of the crease, banking it off of Dobes' skate. Post-game, Laughton reflected on his first game as a King, mentioning, “It’s tough at the start, I think, just kind of finding your way around.” “I think everything from off the ice is harder than once you get on the ice, but it’s nice to get into a game right away.” The Kings acquired Laughton from the Maple Leafs on Friday in exchange for a conditional third-round pick. The third-round pick will become a second-rounder if the Kings are able to sneak into a playoff spot coming down the remainder of the regular season. Following the loss to the Canadiens, the Kings fall to three points outside of the final wild card spot, trailing the Seattle Kraken, who acquired Bobby McMann on Friday. Vital role within the Kings lineup The Kings are going to fall in love with the type of player Laughton is. He plays a physical style of hockey while having the ability to play in any scenario. If he is able to add some scoring touch to his arsenal, he can become a very dangerous player for the remainder of the season. Laughton will play key minutes on the Kings' penalty kill, while taking on more responsibility in their bottom six. In his first game with the Kings, Laughton played over 15 minutes, which is well above his season average of 13 minutes with the Maple Leafs. Laughton is looking to build off on what many see as a great start with the Kings on Monday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Time will tell if the Maple Leafs got fleeced in two deals involving Laughton over just one season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs extend their losing streak to seven, as they get dominated from the very beginning against a strong Tampa Bay Lightning team, losing 5-2. The Maple Leafs further prove that they are nowhere near a Stanley Cup contender, and simply can't compete against the league's best. This past seven-game stretch has been incredibly disappointing for management and staff, as they were only six points back with just over 20 games remaining. Hopes were high, as just one season ago, they won the Atlantic Division and were able to sweep Western Canada heading into the break. Ideal start that couldn't mount to anything Much of this game showcased the struggles of the season; they can't seem to string along consective strong shifts, and are often trailing the game's early with little to no momentum to get them back in the contest. Hockey Night in Canada started strong for the Maple Leafs, as Matias Maccelli opened the scoring with a goal after a great defensive effort by William Nylander. The hot start was noticed and recognized in the post-game by Max Domi as he said, “I thought we came out pretty good.” That was a huge goal, great play by William to Maccelli, and we weren’t able to sustain that same level of play after that. That’s a good team over there, and they’re going to get looks, but they capitalized. We had some too, but we gave up too much.” Tampa Bay Lightning taking control of the game early The Lightning then struck four times in the opening frame to take control of the hockey game. Anthony Stolarz summed up the remaining stages of the first period well, saying , “Just try to find our game, play a complete 60 minutes.” “We have stretches where we do play really well, and then there are a couple of times where we let it get away from us. We have 18 games left, so we have to battle and work through this. You hate to hear the boos with a minute left.” The Lightning were the clear-cut better team after this goal; instead of the Maple Leafs building on their opening goal, they lay back and let Tampa Bay control the game, and dictated the remainder of the game. The rest of the contest was the Maple Leafs attempting to get back in the game and pressing for offence. Needing to score three straight goals against Andrei Vasilevskiy and getting past the Lightning's defensive core was proven to be a tough task; the Leafs were not able to answer. Over the Maple Leafs seven game losing streak, they have been outscored 32-14. The Leafs are back in action on Tuesday as they gear up for an Original Six matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.

As the trade deadline passed, the Toronto Maple Leafs made several trades to begin the retool, but one area that hasn't been addressed is the goaltending. With three NHL-calibre netminders, should the Maple Leafs have dealt one? Option 1: Anthony Stolarz The Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten up and down results from their goalies, which could have proved to be a reason for change. The season started with Anthony Stolarz struggling, as Joseph Woll was absent from the Leafs due to personal reasons. Stolarz has had underwhelming numbers since re-signing with the organization after a career season just one season ago; he currently rocks a .891 with a goals against average of 3.37. Stolarz has only played in 20 contests this season, as he went down with a nerve injury in November in a game against the Boston Bruins. Stolarz may seem like the obvious choice to move on from, but there could be a reason to trade either Joseph Woll or Dennis Hildeby. Option 2: Joseph Woll Joseph Woll has had stretches of incredible hockey this season, but as of late, it seems as if he can't save a beachball. Over his past few games, he has been wildly inconsistent at the wrong time. Heading back from the Olympic break, the Maple Leafs sat just six points outside the final wild card spot, with reason to believe that they had a chance of catching the final wild card spot. While this does not fall on Joseph Woll, the reason why the Maple Leafs still had a chance at making the playoffs was because of his play. It would be tough to imagine what Woll's trade value would be at this point in the season, but it is believed that management still sees the Missouri native as the netminder of the future. Option 3: Dennis Hildbey Dennis Hildeby has been a tremendous story for the Maple Leafs this season, when both Stolarz and Woll were dealing with injuries. In 19 games this season, Hildeby has posted a .912 save percentage and a 2.90 goals against average. This has been a great improvement from years past went put ourselves in this situation. Just one season ago, in 6 games, he struggled mightily with a save percentage of .878 and a goals against of 3.33. Hildebeast has received praise from Joseph Woll this season, mentioning “Hildeby’s been awesome.” “I see him every day in practice, he works he hard and he’s a hell of a goalie. He’s carrying the load for us right now which is great, and I think he’s doing a great job.” This is high praise from the team's number one goalie. Hidleby, at this point, heading into the offseason, does not provide much value for the Maple Leafs to even find it worth it to move on from their young AHL starting goalie. Who should be the goalie on their way out of Toronto? The clear-cut option for the Maple Leafs to move at this point would be Anthony Stolarz. Stolarz has struggled with injuries, and with four years remaining on his deal, cup-contending rosters heading into the offseason can bite on this opportunity to solidify their goaltending. Hildeby and Woll have become a proven tandem that is able to push themselves to be better, and when the duo were manning the net, the team produced its best success.

As the trade deadline has come and passed, it was an underwhelming day for the Toronto Maple Leafs to say the least. Despite the Maple Leafs moving on from three players, the returns were less than fans were hoping for. Brad Treliving has made a lot of mistakes in his tenure with the Maple Leafs and has recognized this, mentioning, "It starts with me." “I’ll take responsibility. You know, we met earlier in the year, about the 20-game mark, where we got off to a slow start. And again, the failures start with me. Once we get through the end of the season, you know, there will be all sorts of evaluation.” Toronto's flurry of deadline deals On Thursday, the Maple Leafs made their first move by trading Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2027 conditional first-round pick and a 2026 conditional fifth-round pick. Many Maple Leafs fans were expecting similar returns for both Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton, but were later disappointed. The Maple Leafs managed to scramble both of these deals late in the afternoon and received a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 4th-round pick for Bobby McMann, as it was “the best offer that we had,” Treliving said. The management staff then decided to trade Oakville native Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a conditional third-round pick that becomes a second-round pick if the Kings qualify for the postseason. Scott Laughton loved his time in Toronto and was hoping to have a chance of winning the Stanley Cup with the Maple Leafs. Laughton told Sportsnet reporters on Thursday, “I have family close. And the staff, you get treated first class here. Original Six team. It’s special every time you go on the ice. “You get chills every time going out, thinking about this team you grew up watching. And I’ve said this before, but I’ve fallen in love with the guys here. We have a great group of guys who really care and want to be at their best.” What makes the Laughton return so disappointing for Brad Treliving is what they spent to acquire him at last season's trade deadline. The Maple Leafs acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a first-round pick. Craig Berube's future in jeopardy? Treliving's comments throughout the press conference began to raise concerns over Craig Berube's future with the Maple Leafs, expressing, “Like everything else, we all take responsibility,” he said. “I think Craig’s a terrific coach. It hasn’t worked, right? So when it doesn’t work, we all share a blame and we all share responsibility, right? So it starts with myself. It’s the coaches. It’s the players. We all are partners in this thing.” The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a big summer ahead of themselves, with lots of critical decisions to be made, figuring out the direction the team wants to go in over the next couple of seasons. If it were up to me, Treliving does not seem the best person fit for the job, but it will be an interesting couple of months in Leafland.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2027 2nd round-pick and a 2026 4th round-pick. Why this makes sense for the Maple Leafs and Kraken For the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was their first trade on trade deadline day. Bobby McMann had been rumoured to be traded over the course of the past few months, and a deal finally came to fruition. The Maple Leafs originally set the price at a first-round pick; however, it was clear that no teams were willing to pay that high of a price. The two draft picks serve as draft capital, which they have been lacking since last season. The Seattle Kraken, who signed Jordan Eberle earlier in the day, acquired McMann to push their chances of punching their ticket to the postseason. McMann is a versatile two-way forward who is in the midst of a career season. McMann has produced 32 points, including 19 goals, this season. The Alberta native can play throughout the lineup and has shown success on a team's top line, alongside Auston Matthews. McMann is in the final season of a two-year, $2.7 million deal, with an average annual value of $1.35 million. In many ways, he can be seen as a contender's dream player. Maple Leafs moving forward with or without McMann The Maple Leafs could be hoping to bring back Bobby McMann in the offseason, as they had contract extension discussions, along with McMann, who has publicly reassured his desire to be in Toronto for the future. According to multiple sources, McMann had been demanding north of $5 million per season, which would have been seen as an overpay for a team looking to retool their roster. If McMann becomes available within the summer, look to see if the Maple Leafs and McMann restart their conversations. The past few days have confirmed the new direction of where the Maple Leafs want to be headed, and overall did a good job moving towards the future and gaining draft capital, something they had lacked over the course of the past couple years.

As trade deadline day is ahead of us, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to make any deals to become younger, gain draft capital, and assets that will be a part of the team's future. Red Wings and Avalanche linked to Leafs' Scott Laughton Scott Laughton remains firmly on the trade block throughout the day. According to Chris Johnson of The Athletic, Scott Laughton has drawn interest from the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings. The Maple Leafs and Avalanche have already made a trade, sending Nicolas Roy to the Avs in exchange for a first and fifth-round pick. The Red Wings are a team where they are attempting to bolster their roster, as they are back in playoff contention for the first time since 2015-16. Laughton is a strong depth piece, playing crucial minutes and providing depth throughout any contending roster. The Maple Leafs have scratched Laughton over the course of the past two contests due to roster management. The Maple Leafs are hoping for a big return for Laughton. The Oakville native has expressed interest in returning to the Maple Leafs for next season, and he is a player any team wants on their roster when trying to contend for the Stanley Cup. It is safe to assume they won't be able to get the same return as they did for Nic Roy; however, they believe they can receive a prospect and a mid-round draft pick. Acquired at last season's trade deadline Laughton was acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs at last season's trade deadline from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick. Laughton has been one of the sole bright spots with the Maple Leafs this season, as he has played well night in and night out. On a roster where they have not gotten much production from their bottom six, Laughton has been a stable force. Laughton is a player who won't produce goals and assists but will play tough minutes on the penalty kill and has been in a shutdown role against other opponents' top players. Seeing Laughton's departure from the Maple Leafs could be a tough pill to swallow, as he provides a lot that will be very hard to replicate. On the flip side, with the direction the Maple Leafs want to go, getting a good return for his services will be the correct way to go moving forward. Time will tell what the Maple Leafs' plans are and how they go along with today's trade deadline.

The trade deadline proves to be one of the scariest times of the season, especially if you play on a team that is a seller, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, this could be an exciting time for prospects Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan, looking to make their mark within the NHL club. The Maple Leafs are likely looking to ship off as many pieces as possible to regain draft picks and assets for the future. On Wednesday, the Maple Leafs sent Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2027 conditional 1st round pick and a 2026 5th round pick. This trade sent shockwaves through the Maple Leafs as the realization of them becoming sellers and turning the page on this era is starting to settle in. Toronto Maple Leafs' gaps within the lineup Because of this transition, the Maple Leafs will have holes to fill within their lineup. This will give their prospects, Cowan and Quillan, their chance to shine and solidify their positions for next season. Cowan has bounced in and out of the lineup throughout the season, but will get minutes in their top six moving through the remainder of the season. Quillan finds himself on the fourth line, trying to stay in the lineup as he hasn't truly gotten his chance with the NHL club, despite strong numbers with the Toronto Marlies. Craig Berube's thoughts on Jacob Quillan's game Craig Berube likes the way both prospects play, but specifically Jacob Quillan. Before a game on November 18th against the St. Louis Blues, expressed, “Q, he’s got great speed. He plays both wing and centre, but he brings speed to the game.  He’s a competitive kid, but his speed is what drives him. He’s fast, he’s powerful for a young kid. He’s going to bring energy to the game. He’s going to work. He’s going to compete, that’s what he’s going to bring to the game tonight.” The next 24 hours will be an interesting time for the Maple Leafs, and changes could be what both Easton Cowan and Jacob Quillan need to develop into the players the Maple Leafs are hoping for.

The Toronto Maple Leafs fall further down the NHL standings, following a 4-3 shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs now sit eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot and sit 13th in the Eastern Conference. After the loss, Craig Berube had concerning comments regarding Auston Matthews' recent play. Berube, when asked about Auston Matthews and not being able to find the back of the net in nine consecutive contests, mentioned, "I don’t see him forcing it. He is getting opportunities. It is tough. It is tough on him and tough on the team. We need him to produce. It is not like he isn’t getting his looks. They just aren’t going in right now." "He just has to stick with it. He does a lot of other good things in the game. It is not just about scoring. But he’ll come out of it. I have confidence in him. Sometimes, you just have to get a greasy goal around the net." Urgency needed by the Toronto Maple Leafs Craig Berube understands the urgency of this time of year, and having your top scorer not acting as one is tough for the entirety of the lineup. The Maple Leafs were short-handed as well heading into the lineup, as Brad Treliving decided to hold out Bobby McMann, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Scott Laughton for trade reasons. Berube spoke on this topic post-game, adding, "It does. It’s tough. We want to win games. When you come to the rink, and three important players aren’t in the lineup, it is going to impact the guys. But I thought the guys came out and were ready to play, which is important. I thought our captain led the way in that department. He worked and competed. But it is tough, for sure." The Maple Leafs need Auston Matthews to be better This was a game where the Maple Leafs needed Auston Matthews to step up and become a game-changer, which hasn't been seen since before the Olympic break. If you don't have your top players playing at a high level, especially for Toronto, it will be very difficult to compete in the NHL. In years prior, the Maple Leafs had Mitch Marner, who would be able to take over a game and be a difference maker, this season as the injuries have piled up, they simply haven't gotten that same production from either Auston Matthews or William Nylander. As the Maple Leafs' playoff hopes fall to nearly zero, how they carry themselves for the remainder of the season will be in question. If the Leafs can fall to the bottom five in the NHL, they will have the opportunity to keep their first-round pick ahead of the NHL Draft. If the Maple Leafs want to win down the stretch, they will need Auston Matthews to be far more effective.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann has expressed his interest in returning to the Maple Leafs, even if that could be on the open market. McMann is a pending unrestricted free agent and is one of the biggest fish on the trade block. Bobby McMann thoughts on returning to Toronto "It's always a possibility to re-sign in Toronto," M cMann told Nick Barden of Th e Hockey News. McMann added, "Whether that's now or even after the season, you never know. But yeah, it's definitely a possibility in the near future. It's something that I know we've expressed, and I've talked to my agents about. I do like it here, and it's a place that I've grown to learn to play pro and really like it here." "Definitely a possibility, but we'll see." McMann said this before their matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers, which could end up becoming his final game at Scotiabank Arena for at least the remainder of this season. The Maple Leafs, ahead of their contest with the New Jersey Devils, scratched Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson for trade purposes. The Maple Leafs are hoping to retool this roster and have a quick turnaround back in the postseason next season. The Leafs currently hold the longest active playoff streak with nine consecutive seasons. Bobby McMann's career season in 2025-26 The Maple Leaf winger is having a career season, posting 32 goals, which includes 19 goals in 60 contests. McMann had a career high of 20 goals with the Maple Leafs just one season ago. The Leafs, because of this, have reportedly asked for a first-round pick in return. It is unclear whether any team will be willing to pay that price; however, the Maple Leafs will push as hard as possible, as they don't have a pick in the first round until 2028. The next three days will be an interesting time for Leafs Nation, as there doesn't seem to be any real direction with this team moving forward, especially with the players in the lineup now. If the Maple Leafs can acquire a first-round pick for McMann, then later re-sign him in the open market, it will be seen as a very successful trade deadline and offseason, as he has played a crucial role within the Leafs' lineup this season.