Leafs Talk

31 Mar 2026 16:16:20
Now that reliving is gone which I’m kinda surprised tbh seemed like they were gonna keep him, it’s time to trim the fat, hire a GM and President, get rid of the 5 AGMs and replace the entire coaching staff.

I'm truly intrigued by where they might go. The leafy thing to do would be going and getting the “experienced guy cough cough Armstrong”, but I want to see a GM who is given the ability to make moves.

The Leafs need a Bill Zito type GM idk who that would be, but I think if they are serious they will not just recycle the same play book. I’ve already mentioned my vote in Jim Nill, but idk if he leaves Dallas unless the Stars don’t win this year

31 Mar 2026 15:56:16
@Goat
I like Jim Nill as well, but I think we need to hire someone sooner.

Obviously do a full search, starting today if it hasn't started already. We need to hire someone quickly, so they have more time to evaluate and set a direction moving forward.



If Dallas has a long playoff run, Jim Nill won't be available till mid/end of June. That's cutting it too close to the draft and FA, IMO.

I'm not sold on Armstrong either, but there seems to be a lot of smoke around him.

How about Doug Wilson?

30 Mar 2026 23:16:24
Fire Treliving and Berube. Hire Chiarelli (Nill if you could) and Cassidy (immediately).

31 Mar 2026 13:32:00
Yikes!!!!!! Chiarelli???? His trade record speaks for itself!

27 Mar 2026 20:50:33
More of a comment on our Managemrnt and the big mistakes that were made at last years trade deadline giving away 2 1st rd picks for duds. If he wouldn’t have panicked and kept them. This summer he could have grabbed a serious RFA with an offer sheet.

Look at who’s available it’s mind blowing. Carlsson, Gauthier, Bedard, Robertson, Fantilli, Clarke, Edvinsson, Nemec. It’s crazy. I’m sure if Armstrong was our GM last year he would have seen it and not done what Trev 💩 did.

27 Mar 2026 22:16:59
Hindsight is 20/20. Always easy after the fact to analyse. At the time most people were pumped we won the Laughton sweepstakes as they referred to it at the time. Even some were excited with the Carlo trade. I wasn't as I was and still am a Minten fan and hated to see him go. No-one was panicking as much at the trade deadline because they thought Marner was also not going to leave. So yeah it was a overpay, but we weren't the only teams trying to get both of those players, so who knows.

My problem with Treliving was not as much those picks and yes they have hurt us huge, but his inability to chase any real worthwhile free agents or to address the Reilly issue. It's not like Reilly suddenly went downhill, it has been a progression and last summer would have been better to have done a trade than for another year of him declining and now we have a player we almost have to give away or use as a throw in on a trade to get rid of that Contrract.

27 Mar 2026 22:26:28
Hindsight is definitely 20/20. I liked the Carlo trade, but was never a fan of Laughton. I change my mind on both of those (although an overpay for Laughton).

28 Mar 2026 11:47:03
It is only a mistake because of how this year has gone and hoe last year ended. If the Leafs had of beat Florida and made it to the Conference final (which they were one win away) and this year not been a mess, hardly anyone is complaining about those trades.
Also, lots talking about offer sheets. They are so rare. It's not like it was definite the Leafs would do them if they had the asset compensation. Most GM's have never offer sheeted a player.

Historically speaking, it is highly unlikely the Leafs would offer sheet anyone. That goes for all teams.
As for Rielly, yes, it would be nice to move on. He has a full NMC. He controls what happens and has said int he past he wants to stay. Unless that changes, Leafs are stuck with him because you can't send him to the minors either. It's either he accepts being moved or he is bought out.

30 Mar 2026 09:04:51
Throwing the idea of offer sheets is a stretch. It’s so uncommon for those to happen. If you want to know where this all fell apart I’d say Tavares first year with the Leafs…. They overpaid for a guy right before the big 3 were up for deals and I think they all used JT’s contract as leverage.

Then I’ll go back to trading Kadri at 4.5 mill per for a bag of pucks. They had Matthews Tavares and Kadri up the middle. Let that sink in. The Leafs then struggled to draft well and neglected the blueline for most of Matthews and Marners and Nylander youthful years that’s where this went wrong to me and now with money hungry Rogers running the show it’s hard to see this team doing what they need to to become the team that can be competitive again but we will see.

To me the first moves are simple fire Berube and the entire coaching staff. Then move Brad to president seems more like a business guy then a hockey guy then bring in Jim Nill and Cassidy just my opinion tho

30 Mar 2026 19:14:58
I was so incredibly 😞 nted after last season's deadline. My top price on either of those pieces would've been a second. I would've rathered us do nothing. But I was in the minority and there would've been people calling for his head had he stayed pat last year.

26 Mar 2026 01:23:52
Daxon Rudolph - This might be a guy the Leafs take a long hard look at was reading scouting reports and he seems to check all the boxes

NHL ready size 6'3, 206 lbs
Two-way
Physical
Mobile
Heavy shot

28 goals this year.

Some report project him as a top pair potential… no other dman in the top 10 have those numbers. Just might have to trade to draft him since the Leafs refuse to just tank.

26 Mar 2026 03:33:41
If they don't tank, then Boston gets the pick.

26 Mar 2026 07:48:57
@LL I’m aware but could they trade into the top 10? Sharks are a team that want to get better now, not draft another prospect.

26 Mar 2026 16:53:49
I think the Sharks have a plan that Mike Grier is sticking to and that is to keep adding young talent and in this draft there are some top end Defensemen available that they can keep building upon. Verhoeff, Reid, Carels, Smits and ... you mentioned him earlier, Goat...

Rudolph. Any of those 5 could crack the San Jose lineup as they are short on signed D-men. The Sharks did well this year and the last 2 weeks they just got hammered by the schedule and the teams they had to run up against. Some of the hottest teams in the league.

23 Mar 2026 12:58:01
I do mostly like the draft picks we have made over the last few years.

Perhaps because I read about the players.

I’m hoping Hopkins, like Holinka, get to Fraser Minten’s level or a bit more.

Hopkins has the best speed of the three while Holinka is described as an average skater but positionally strong.

Holinka is perhaps slightly more offensive but at least on par while Hopkins is the least skilled in scoring but was the youngest to play major junior.

23 Mar 2026 19:25:03
My nephew has Season Tickets to the Oil Kings, and he says the scouting on Holinka's skating is not as nagative as some make it. He said his top end speed is slightly above average, but for a guy 6'-2" and 200 lbs he said Holinka's foot speed quickness in traffic, and his hands are insanely good.

He is not as big as Tage Thompson, but he compared him to him in that "He could stick handle in a phone booth" lol Buffalo announcers us that to describe Thompson. But I know that saying was stolen from the legendary Bob Cole talking about Mario Lemieux in the Playoffs.

22 Mar 2026 15:01:19
It is going to be really interesting to see how things play out over the next 3 weeks on these tight races for the playoff spots. It will really shape up what teams wants and needs are in the trade market in the off season. If you miss the playoffs you are probably looking at 2 to 3 pieces you need. If you lose in the first or second round it might be one huge and one minor piece. If you make the semi-final and the final and fall short. It might be to not do anything and let some pieces you have mature.

Or you might be looking at big but not superstar trade to hit the next level. At each level....just missing the playoffs, First round exit, 2 round exit semi-final exit and losing in the final, these will be the factors on what teams might look to the Leafs for those pieces as our potential trade partners or we might just not have anything they need or want. We should know soon on our first potential trade partners.

23 Mar 2026 21:51:33
Okay let's follow that logic for a moment.
Let's agree the Leafs need three pieces from trades and not signing a UFA.

Sometimes addition is made with subtraction so I'll propose trading Rielly, Stolarz and Robertson for this exercise.

I still believe the Hurricanes are a good destination. Since you think, at 31 this past January, he won't get us much. I like Dominik Badinka.

Because I'm in a generous mood I take Jesperi Kotkaniemi off their hands.

Next I trade Rielly CBH who really need a veteran on D now that Murphy is gone. Rielly thrives in a new market away from the media and is two hours closer to Vancouver. Leafs get AJ Spellacy and another player on their reserve list, perhaps Mustard.

The last of the trades is sending McCabe to SJS for Filip Bystedt and Kasper Halttunen. I still believe McCabe is easily replaced; helped will be 33yo in October and has 4 years left at $4.5m.

I'm happy with these returns; I'm sure there different trades for these same players that I could embrace.

I think 2 for sure will be in our opening lineup and with luck one more. The year after they could all be there!

23 Mar 2026 23:11:18
Sorry, Randy. What I meant is we need to identify what pieces other teams need as they meet their fates going forward. Then we can identify our best trade partners if we have what they are looking for. I think some of our best partners for larger trades will be teams that go out in the 1st and 2nd rounds.