3 Unrealistic Solutions to Solve the Maple Leafs’ Problems

The second-round elimination of the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games by the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will likely result in much-needed changes. Losing in the first or second round for nine straight seasons is one thing, but the spectacularly poor performances that frequently show up when there’s a chance to advance make it impossible to rationalize continuing in this direction. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there has been anger, sadness, and plenty of finger-pointing after another embarrassing loss in the postseason, especially in a hockey-crazed market like Toronto, where everything is magnified. There have been some radical suggestions for what direction the organization should take next, following a disappointing end to what had the makings of a promising playoff run. We’ll examine those while introducing other impractical solutions to the mix. As a reminder, these paths are unlikely to be taken by the Maple Leafs and shouldn’t be followed by the organization this offseason, even though it would create quite a stir if they came to fruition. 

Trade a Cornerstone Player

Even though Mitch Marner already has one foot out the door as a pending unrestricted free agent, and the status of John Tavares’ return is unclear, some pockets believe that isn’t enough. Auston Matthews has received some heat for his playoff struggles, notably scoring only one goal versus the Panthers and posting one point in the final four contests of the series. Still, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Matthews led the league with 26 shots in Round 2 and had as many points in the best-of-seven as Seth Jones, Sam Bennett, and Matthew Tkachuk. It is fair to criticize Matthews because he is paid handsomely to be a difference-maker, and he wasn’t, but he did win his shifts more often than not while playing through an injury. 

However, deciding now to cut bait with him to start over completely is unrealistic. Firstly, he is signed for the next three seasons and has a no-movement clause. More importantly, he has the most goals in the NHL since 2016-17, with 401 across 629 games. His closest competition is Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, who has 378 goals in 681 appearances. Draisaitl has the advantage in postseason production, but the Maple Leafs won’t be getting Draisaitl back in a trade involving Matthews. The return wouldn’t come close to matching Matthews’ goal-scoring prowess. 

The situation with William Nylander is similar, but he is locked up for the next seven seasons with a no-movement clause. Additionally, his offence would be challenging to replace. Since 2022-23, he sits just outside the top 10 with 269 points in 246 games, and he’s tied with Nathan MacKinnon with 125 goals. The 29-year-old Nylander is also Toronto’s leader in goals (23), power-play goals (six), and points (47) since the 2020 Playoffs. He didn’t earn a point in four consecutive contests to end the Maple Leafs’ 2025 Postseason run, but he still generated good looks and has been one of the few reliable producers in crunch time in the past.

The Maple Leafs need Matthews and Nylander now more than ever. The team struggled offensively in the regular season and has failed to produce in the postseason for a while now. Dealing away elite goal scorers is the wrong direction, especially when the return won’t come close to matching what was sent the other way. It’s reminiscent of when the Griffins were offered a mystery box over a boat in an episode of Family Guy. “A boat’s a boat, but the mystery box could be anything,” Peter said. “It could even be a boat. You know how much we’ve wanted one of those” (from “I Am Peter, Hear Me Roar.” Family Guy, created by Seth MacFarlane, season 3, episode 8, Fuzzy Door Productions, 2000). The complete teardown of the roster option is there, but then the hunt will be on for general manager Brad Treliving to add players with similar skill sets. It’s an unnecessarily circuitous step when the pieces are already there to salvage the roster if it is built with better complementary players to become deeper. 

Tank in 2025-26 

The Maple Leafs could ignore roster changes completely, sit out the free agent frenzy and attempt to land the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. It would be a great season to tank for the top selection, with offensive phenom Gavin McKenna waiting at the front of the pack. He oozes skill and creativity while possessing an excellent shot. The 17-year-old left winger compiled 41 goals and 129 points in 56 regular-season appearances with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2024-25. He captured the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy, which goes to the WHL Player of the Year, and produced 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 16 playoff outings en route to a WHL championship.