Without a win in seven, is this the lowest of the low for Toronto? David Alter thinks so.
I think we all knew the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff chances coming out of the Olympic break were slim. But I don’t think anybody expected the team to be so bad. In their first seven games since the break, the Maple Leafs have gone 0-5-2, and the fire sale has begun.
They parted ways with forward Nicolas Roy, a depth playoff performer they acquired in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights for the sign-and-trade of Mitch Marner. The Leafs dealt Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional first-round draft pick in 2027 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026. This was probably the best deal the club pulled off ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. The rest? Underwhelming.
The Leafs received a conditional 2027 second-round pick from Seattle—which will be the lower of the Winnipeg Jets’ or Columbus Blue Jackets’ picks in that draft, since Seattle owns both. Toronto also received a fourth-round pick. This was far less than the two second-rounders or the first-round pick many had hoped the Leafs would get. Additionally, Toronto received a conditional third-round pick in 2026 from the Los Angeles Kings for Scott Laughton. This was a far cheaper price than the conditional first-round pick and prospect forward Nikita Grebenkin the Leafs traded to acquire Laughton in 2025.
In addition to the players mentioned above, the team took defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson out of the lineup for two games. However, they didn’t trade the defender, nor was there anything close to a deal for the veteran, who possesses a 16-team no-trade list.
No Plan
Perhaps the worst part about this is that the Leafs seem content to play out the string without a set plan. They’ve been saying the right things. Talks of playing with pride and professionalism down the stretch are the go to, even though the playoffs are virtually impossible. While Toronto fades, the most dangerous NHL playoff teams nobody is talking about are quietly making their move.Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving was pressed about the plan for the club—specifically whether they would be doing a full-on rebuild or just a re-tool. Treliving did not have much to say other than that there will be a plan. He also seemed unsure of who might be at the top to fix the issues. Treliving claims to take “full responsibility” for the failures of this season.
It really isn’t a good scene right now. I think what we’re going to see in the upcoming schedule is a lot of games where you should look at taking the “over”. There have already been 46 goals scored combined in Toronto’s last seven games. At some point, however, the Leafs are going to have to figure out how to get Auston Matthews going again. He has gone 11 consecutive games without a goal, his longest such drought since his rookie year in 2016-17. The captain of the team has been unable to help steer the club out of a skid. You have to wonder if it’s because of his ability or the system he’s playing in under Toronto coach Craig Berube.
Lost Coach
Speaking of Berube, he’s lost. I haven’t encountered a coach who appears as defeated in his role with the Leafs since Peter Horachek served as interim coach in the middle of the 2014-15 season. Following a 6-2 loss against the New York Rangers, Berube admitted to being frustrated and “pissed off” about the way the team had played. He isn’t alone.
The Maple Leafs have just seven games remaining at home. Following their last game, Leafs fans booed them off the ice. How bad can things get? I guess we’ll find out.