The Toronto Maple Leafs have three NHL-calibre goalies, which includes Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz, and Dennis Hildeby. The Maple Leafs should be looking to gain assets and move towards the future as they have fallen to the bottom of the Atlantic Division. At this point in the season, with Stolarz's injury troubles and recent play, it will be difficult to trade him. This leaves the floor with Dennis Hildeby, who is currently on the Marlies as an asset that could be worth moving. Dennis Hildeby has been a surprise for many this season. He has kept the Maple Leafs in games and has played like a number-one goalie at times this season . In 19 games played this season, Hildeby has rocked a .912 with a goals against average of 2.90. Hildeby could be a serviceable depth piece to any Stanley Cup contender or could be the answer in the crease to teams struggling to find consistent goaltending. The Flyers are a team that emerges above the rest as a team looking to find some goaltending help. Could the Flyers be a fit for Dennis Hildeby? The Flyers have dealt with several goaltending troubles this season, highlighted when starting netminder Dan Vladar was injured. Vladar's injury left Samuel Ersson as the number one goalie. Ersson has struggled this season, to say the least, which has contributed to the Flyers' struggles as of late. In 24 contests this season, he has a goals against average north of three with a save percentage of .856. This is nowhere near good enough, especially for a team contending to qualify for the postseason. Hildeby could provide stable goaltending behind Vladar and help the Flyers win games that they should not be competing in. We saw this many times with the Maple Leafs, where Hildeby was able to put on a solid performance just to give the Leafs a chance to win. Oftentimes, the Leafs have gotten dominated, but Hildeby came in and saved the day. The Flyers stand above the rest of the teams in dire need of goaltending. Hildeby will also be a cheap option for the Flyers, and the price to get him could be reasonable on both ends. It would be tough to see the Leafs moving on from Hildeby, but rather one of either Stolarz or Woll, but as the Maple Leafs begin to become sellers ahead of the trade deadline, we could see teams, especially the Flyers, calling the Maple Leafs regarding their goaltender.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are having to deal with another key injury to their roster, as Morgan Rielly left Saturday night's game early with an upper-body injury. There is no timeline for the injury as Craig Berube was not able to provide an update post-game. Things have gone from bad to worse for the Leafs' star defenceman this season with this most recent injury update. The Maple Leafs defence core will take a hit from Rielly's absence. Rielly has been under high criticism as of late for his play, but Rielly in the lineup is still much better than one of their depth defenceman that has been a healthy scratch. The Leafs will likely slide Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, or Marshall Rifai in the lineup during Rielly's absence. The Leafs will need one of these players to step up and play serviceable minutes, while adding some offensive touch in replacement for Rielly. Morgan Rielly's season struggles This may be what Rielly needs to get his season back on track. While dealing with an injury is never easy, taking a break from the team and playing could get Rielly back on the right track. The Leafs will need Rielly playing at his best if they want any chance of getting back within the playoff circle. The Leafs have a tall mountain to climb chasing the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot by eight points with 27 games remaining. Heading into last night's contest against the Canucks, Rielly has posted seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points in 54 games this season. His offensive production this season has not been bad by any means, but he is a complete liability on the defensive side of the puck. He makes countless errors that end up biting the Maple Leafs late in games. This is shown through his plus/minus. Rielly is a -17 on the season, racking up one of the worst campaigns of his career. It may be time to explore trade options with the Vancouver native. He has a no-movement clause, which could hold the Maple Leafs back, but they at least need to have the initial conversation with Rielly on what their plans are for the future. The Maple Leafs are set to continue their road trip on Monday against the Calgary Flames. We will likely get an update on Rielly before the matchup on whether he is good to go or not.

Easton Cowan has been a solid depth piece for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season and was a surprise to make the team right out of juniors, but as of late has struggled to produce points, and doesn't look as noticeable as he has the first half of the season. Head coach Craig Berube decided to scratch Easton Cowan during Saturday night's win against the Vancouver Canucks as William Nylander re-entered the lineup. Head coach Craig Berube had some criticism of Cowan's game as of late. Craig Berube's comments on Easton Cowan's game as of late "Cowan just needs a little reset here. To me, I think he's lost a little bit of his swagger. That's a big part of his game, and I'm not seeing that right now from his game." Berube said pregame . The Leafs coaching staff has seen a noticeable drop off. Earlier in the season, there were flashes that Cowan could become a really good forward in the NHL, but we are not seeing these flashes as often as we did to begin the season. This could be attributed to many different reasons, Berube mentioned "He may be worried about making mistakes and just little things like that that are affecting him and getting in the way of him being successful right now." Why we have seen a dip in Cowan's game I believe that Cowan's struggles go far beyond this. Cowan has struggled to stay within the Leafs lineup, and is getting far fewer chances with the Leafs top players. When Cowan was thriving early in the season, we saw him alongside John Tavares and William Nylander quite often. Playing with these two players makes it easier to generate offence, as the top finishers can do the hard work on their own. Cowan is now stuck on the fourth line with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz when in the lineup. This line plays a completely different role in the Leafs lineup, and doesn't push for offence. It is hard to blame Berube for this, as he is trying anything to get the Maple Leafs winning, to get them within a playoff spot down the stretch. Putting Cowan in the top six for him to see growth is something the Maple Leafs can't afford at this stage of the season. Time will tell if Cowan is back in the lineup on Monday as the Maple Leafs continue their western road trip against the Calgary Flames. Berube will likely keep the same lineup as the Maple Leafs have finally won a game after losing six straight for the first time since 2019.

Professional sports at any level hold a high standard, and an unmountable pressure, especially if you are the cornerstone of the franchise. Being the cornerstone of the franchise comes with expectations, including leading your team to a championship. Every single mistake is magnified; when failures happen, you are always the first player the media and management look toward. Auston Matthews and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills have fallen under this category. Both players arrived as elite talents who reshaped the identity of their franchises, quickly becoming the faces of teams with championship aspirations. After each season passes by, both Matthews and Allen are tasked with winning, but their supporting casts can't seem to help them reach that level of play. Auston Matthews's and Josh Allen's immediate impact When Auston Matthews first entered the NHL, he made an immediate impact, scoring four goals in his first career game, and reshaping modern goal scoring. He was then shortly placed as the Maple Leafs long-term solution and plan for success. The media set expectations that go far beyond his individual stats, which have led to many disappointments. Josh Allen was also drafted towards the top of his class, with superstar ability. Allen then developed into one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in football. He found ways to win games on his own and has been the driving force of the Bills' offence over the past eight seasons. These superstar talents gave fans hope and a reason to believe their teams are true contenders. What we have learned from both of these cases is that just because it seems these players have all the talent in the world, it may not always lead to playoff success. Auston Matthews and Josh Allen have both had several playoff heartbreaks. These heartbreaks led to questions about whether it is them or the personnel around them. Toronto has always been a team that has no issues generating offence in the regular season. When it matters most in the playoffs, they always seem to stumble. The Leafs can be very inconsistent and don't have the pieces around them that would translate into playoff success. This season has showcased this; other than William Nylander, the Maple Leafs lack players capable of propelling the team to the next level. The Leafs have dealt with numerous injuries that prove that just one player can't win you games and carry your team to the next level. The Bills' story with Allen follows a similar script. After turning into the franchise quarterback, Allen has found himself in some of the biggest heartbreaks in recent sports history. All of these losses have held the Bills to Super Bowl aspirations, proving Allen can lead a team to the promised land. The roster surrounding Allen has not been good enough, and similar to Matthews, Allen has had James Cook by his side but not much else to work with. Generational talents like Sidney Crosby and Tom Brady, or Patrick Mahomes, have always been granted a team around them which have led to their success; both Matthews and Allen have lacked this throughout their careers. How similar the two superstars are What brings Matthews and Allen together is more than their individual abilities; it is the potential wasted with the remainder of the team. Both players are responsible for their team's success. Which raises the question of whether both the Bills and Leafs management staff have failed their superstars and have not been able to find ways to have long-term success around their generational talents. For the Maple Leafs, there have been a lot of questionable acquisitions and players who just don't fit within the mould of the roster on both the offensive and defensive sides of the puck. Toronto's success, most recently this season, has fallen short of expectations of what this team could have truly become. For the Bills, they have been unable to provide the offensive firepower for Allen, as you see with the other top teams. The defensive side of the ball was a problem highlighted this season, as they were unable to close out games and be a force when the game mattered most. The core of the problem is shared by both of these players, being forced to carry the weight of the franchise while waiting for the right pieces to be surrounded with. Matthews and Allen are both undeniable generational talents, with some of the top skills in their sport, but their playoff failures are holding them back from reaching the next level. You need a deep team to go on a deep playoff run, in any sport, and until the Maple Leafs and Bills can do this, there will be little to no playoff successes. Matthews and Allen will be celebrated athletes they were never able to get their teams into the record books forever.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs transition into becoming sellers at this season's trade deadline, many had speculation of Auston Matthews would leave the Maple Leafs following the end of his contract or request a trade as the Maple Leafs are looking to retool. There were reports from insiders such as Nick Kypreos; however, Elliotte Friedman shut those rumours down quickly, giving Maple Leaf fans a sigh of relief. During a recent episode of 32 Thoughts The Podcast Friedman noted, “He made a long-term commitment to Toronto a few years ago, and even with a tough season, he isn’t interested in breaking that commitment. “I don’t think Auston is going anywhere. I don’t think he has a desire to go anywhere.” Auston Matthews want to be a Maple Leaf This is great news for both the fans and the management staff. Auston Matthews is the face of the franchise and will be for the coming years. Matthews can very well become the best Maple Leaf of all time if he remains with the club for the rest of his career. Matthews has had an up-and-down campaign; however, as of late, he has seemed to kick it into gear despite the Maple Leafs struggles. Following a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, reporters brought up the idea of the Maple Leafs turning into sellers ahead of the trade deadline. Matthews responded with “I mean, you kind of leave that up to the management." "For us, it’s about the next game. It’s about winning and starting to put ourselves in a much better position than we are now." This quote symbolizes that Matthews has not quit in the Leafs organization and is determined to being apart of the solution, not the problem. This season has clearly not gone the way many expected, but hearing this from your captain is almost the best-case scenario. Upcoming for the Maple Leafs and Matthews The next period of time will be interesting for the Maple Leafs and their fans to see what direction they best see fit moving forward. The good news around all this is that it seems Auston Matthews wants to be a Maple Leaf and wants to be a part of the organization long term. The Maple Leafs are set to continue their road trip against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night as we are nearing the Olympic break.

The Maple Leafs have seemed to get some good news on the injury front, as it seems William Nylander will return to the Maple Leafs lineup on Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks. Nylander missed seven games due to a groin injury. The Swedish forward skated during practice in Seattle on Thursday; however is set to return against the Canucks following a recent interview with Ryan Leslie. In a recent chat with Ryan Leslie, Nylander expressed his excitement about getting back into the lineup and making an impact. Nylander also speaks about his frustration and about the season, mentioning "It's been a tough go for me." The Maple Leafs are going to need Nylander to be a dominant force and the driver of the offence if they want any chance of finding themselves back in a playoff spot. Maple Leafs failures since Nylander's injury During William Nylander's seven-game absence, the Maple Leafs went 1-5-1, falling back to 10 points out of the final wild-card spot. This recent stretch has confirmed that the Maple Leafs are not good enough, and their depth is not able to hold its own. The Maple Leafs offence has taken a dip in production since Nylander's injury and has not been able to control the play at a high rate. The Maple Leafs struggles are not solely on Nylander's absence; they have played terribly defensively, and their goalies can't seem to make a save. William Nylander's return could do wonders for the Maple Leafs offence and just provide the energy needed around this group. The Leafs are not in a good spot heading towards the Olympic break, however, and all they may need is a spark and a great game to catch fire. Crucial road trip ahead of the Olympic break Toronto is playing its second game of a five-game road trip, which will need to go well for the Maple Leafs, or else their season will come to an end. Following their contest against the Canucks, they head to Calgary on Monday, Edmonton on Tuesday, and Tampa Bay following the Olympic Break. Nylander's return gives the Maple Leafs many reasons to be excited.

The Toronto Maple Leafs 2025-26 season has not gone to plan, to say the least. They have dealt with injuries all season and have looked terrible at times. The Leafs are currently riding a 6-game losing streak, which has been the longest since 2019. They have also fallen to 10 points out of the final wild card spot. Matthew Knies is a player who has had a lingering injury, and it may be time to shut him down for the remainder of the season. Lingering injury throughout the season Matthew Knies has noticeably been off all season, and there has been no question of his being in discomfort. He has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the entirety of the season. Knies has been labelled questionable to play at times and has missed an increasing number of practices due to maintenance as of late. Knies has clearly been dealing with something important, and it may be time to have a tough conversation with Knies and figure out if it's worth it for him to continue playing this season. If Knies takes the rest of the season off, it could lead to him being a healthy player for next season, something the Maple Leafs will desperately need. The Arizona native signed a six-year extension with an AAV of $7.75M this past summer. In 51 games, Knies has produced 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points while posting a -12. These stats have improved from last season's; however, it seems Knies has another gear he is unable to use at the moment. Knies has bounced around the lineup this season, beginning the season with Auston Matthews, then moving to the third line, and now finding a home with John Tavares and Matias Maccelli, in William Nylander's injury absence. Tough conversations that need to happen The time to begin these conversations with Matthew Knies should start relatively soon. The Leafs are clearly not a good enough team to contend for the Stanley Cup, let alone make the playoffs. Holding Knies out for the remainder of the season can help the Leafs tank for a top-five pick, which could be their only first-round pick. It is highly unlikely the Leafs will start these conversations, but it is something they should consider moving forward.

The Toronto Maple Leafs issues stem from a lot of different areas in the organization, but they all go back to one person in particular, Brad Treliving. Brad Treliving was hired to replace Kyle Dubas as the general manager back on May 31st, 2023. This will go down as one of the worst decisions made by the Maple Leafs, as his flaws are being shown, leading the Leafs to their worst season in a decade. Brad Treliving's career with the Flames and Maple Leafs Brad Treliving was the general manager of the Calgary Flames before the Maple Leafs dating back from 2014 to 2023. Treliving made a number of massive trades as the Flames' GM, most notably sending Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar. At the end of the 2023 season, Treliving and the Flames agreed it was time to move on as both were looking for a change. The hiring of Treliving came at a weird time for Leafs Nation, as they had just lost in the second round, which at the time was the longest playoff run in the Matthews era. Brendan Shanahan, who was the Leafs President, sat down with Kyle Dubas as his contract expired and discussed their futures. Dubas and the Leafs eventually decided to split. Treliving has done both good and bad for the Maple Leafs. But over the course of this season, the bad has certainly outweighed the good. Heading into Brad Treliving's first offseason with the Maple Leafs, he made several signings to bolster the roster, as well as keep some of their existing talent. He re-signed Pontus Holmberg and David Kampf, which ended up being a terrible deal that the Leafs were able to terminate just in the past few months. Treliving was able to sign Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, John Klingberg and Ryan Reaves, the last two being terrible deals and players who didn't work in Toronto. Treliving's first major decision was the signing of the faces of the franchise, Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Being able to keep both players long-term was a big win for the organization. At the trade deadline, Treliving was able to acquire Joel Edmundson from the Washington Capitals, as well as Connor Dewar from the Minnesota Wild. Both of these deals were low risk high reward that didn't work out terribly in Toronto. The Maple Leafs ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Boston Bruins in 7 games. First major decision: Firing Sheldon Keefe Following the Maple Leafs elimination came the decision to fire Sheldon Keefe and hire Craig Berube. Sheldon Keefe was one of the best Maple Leafs coaches in the regular season, which never translated to the playoffs. Keefe coached for offence, which flabbergasted the defence and did not provide a stable game for the Maple Leafs to win when it mattered most. The hiring of Berube signalled a change and a different brand of hockey, the kind that will win you playoff rounds and a Stanley Cup, or so they thought. With Treliving's first season completed, he understood there was a lot of work to do. His first season with the Leafs wasn't bad, but there were some questions regarding the players he brought in during the 2023 offseason. David Kampf was a good, reliable center for the Leafs, but not a $2.4M player. Ryan Reaves was not the player many expect and he still had two years remaining on his contract. Treliving during the 2024 offseason saw a lot of bad contracts heading towards the Maple Leafs books. He signed Timothy Liljegren to a two-year $6M deal, which made no sense at the time. Re-signed Domi to a four-year $15M deal. We are now seeing the regression of Domi and the player he was during the beginning of his career. Treliving brought in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Chris Tanev, both of whom were great deals, especially Ekman-Larsson. This summer also saw the acquisition of Anthony Stolarz, who had a great first season for the Maple Leafs, but has seemed to fall off a cliff. The re-signing of Joseph Woll was another great signing for Treliving, securing the Maple Leafs tandem. Lastly, before the season began, Treliving re-signed Jake McCabe to a five-year deal, which secured the Leafs defence core for the future. Best season in the Auston Matthews era This season, the Maple Leafs saw the biggest improvement in the Matthews era. The Leafs defence group was one of the best in the NHL, while their goalies were a top-three tandem in the NHL. Berube coached the team to their first divisional title since the 1999-2000 season. At the deadline, Treliving attempted to acquire talent and bolster their roster. The first deal saw the Maple Leafs acquire Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins for a 2026 first-round pick (top-5 protected), Fraser Minten, and a fourth-round pick. This may have single-handedly been one of the worst trades the Maple Leafs have made in the decade. Carlo has been an absolute bust for the Maple Leafs and is nowhere near the value the Leafs traded him for. Later in the morning, the Maple Leafs acquired Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick. The Maple Leafs now do not have a first-round pick until 2028. Laughton has been a solid player for the Maple Leafs, but he plays on the fourth line, not the value of a first-round pick. The Maple Leafs ended up losing in the second round in seven games to the Florida Panthers, who eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup. The 2025-26 season failures Heading into the 2024-25 offseason, there was a lot of work to be done. It was clear Mitch Marner wasn't going to return, so the Maple Leafs needed to figure out a plan. Treliving acquired Nic Roy for Marner's right from the Vegas Golden Knights, which had worked out well, but shouldn't have happened in the first place. He then acquired Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth and Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks in trades. The trio of Roy, Maccelli, and Joshua have not necessarily been bad for the Maple Leafs, but has not acted as a replacement for Mitch Marner. The offseason also saw the re-signing of Anthony Stolarz, who has been terrible, Matthew Knies and John Tavares on team-friendly deals. Other than these moves, Treliving did not make any other decisions on how he was going to improve the roster. The Maple Leafs currently sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Treliving has simply not done enough with the Maple Leafs to make fans and management believe he is the right man for the job. The Leafs are now one of the worst teams in the NHL, with little to no assets or draft capital. Treliving has not waved the white towel as of yet, but he will need to ahead of the trade deadline on March 6th.

With the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, the Maple Leafs fall to 10 points out of a playoff spot. The Maple Leafs will likely turn into sellers heading towards the trade deadline on March 6th, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a player who should hit the trade market. Why would the Maple Leafs trade Ekman-Larsson Oliver Ekman-Larsson has had an unbelievable season with the Maple Leafs. He has consistently been the Maple Leafs' best defenceman, while having the second-best season of his career with 32 points in the team's first 54 games. Ekman-Larsson is set to represent Team Sweden at the Olympic Games starting within the next two weeks. Now you may be thinking to yourself, why would the Maple Leafs even think about trading him if they want to retool? Oliver Ekman-Larsson is 34 years of age; he may only have two more productive seasons before he starts to decline. Even next season, it won't be close to the hockey we have seen this season. The Maple Leafs need to take advantage of him now and realize it is time to acquire some younger talent in exchange for Ekman-Larsson. Value coming back the Maple Leafs way The Leafs can get a mid-round pick and a prospect for OEL. He is a proven key contributor on a Stanley Cup-contending roster. This was showcased with the Florida Panthers during their 2024 Stanley Cup run. He quarterbacked the power play and played a big role in the leadership group in Florida. Even if the Maple Leafs don't want to move on from the Swedish defenceman, now would be the right time. In the coming years, it will be much harder to move on from his contract, but if you can get a sizable return for him, they need to do so as soon as possible. With the Maple Leafs potentially selling this deadline, it will be interesting to see who the Leafs move on from and the assets they can bring back in return.

Bobby McMann will be a sought after forward ahead of the trade deadline, and towards free agency. And with the Toronto Maple Leafs possibly considering a transition to being sellers as the season has not gone to plan, to say the least. If they decide to transition into sellers, the Edmonton Oilers could be a very good fit for McMann, according to Bob Stauffer and Elliotte Friedman. During a recent episode of Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer the host said, “I love McMann,” and Friedman responded, “Fast, competitive guy,” adding, “He’d look good on your roster.” McMann has had a strong campaign for the Maple Leafs this season, during the final season of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. His cap hit sits at $1.35 million, making him an affordable winger, including for the Oilers. McMann is a player the Oilers would value, just as Friedman mentioned. McMann is a fast, hardworking winger who can play in all areas on the ice. The Oilers have been known to struggle with depth scoring, past their stars, but adding a cheap forward nearing 30 goals could become the answer to that question. The Oilers will likely have to give the Maple Leafs a good package for McMann for the management staff to consider this deal. The Leafs are believed to still want to bring him back next season, but he may have priced himself out of a contract in Toronto. From the Leafs' perspective, you would want to bring him back, but if the package going back the Leafs way is strong, then the Maple Leafs will have no choice but to move on from the Alberta native. The Leafs have struggled to acquire assets and draft picks over the past few seasons, due to the fact that they have always been buyers. The Maple Leafs cup window is seemingly coming to an end, and it may be time for a retool. McMann has admitted to being an Oilers fan growing up, being from Alberta, this comes with little to no shock. McMann always gets up for a game against the Oilers, mentioning that “I was an Oilers fan growing up. Maybe a little extra juice in the legs today playing against the Oilers.” If the Maple Leafs decide to become sellers ahead of the March 6th trade deadline, many can expect the Oilers to be calling about Bobby McMann, seeking a deal that brings him out West. The next stretch of hockey will determine what the Maple Leafs do, and they will need to have talks with McMann and his agent on deciding whether or not there will be a contract extension in the near future.