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Maple Leafs Owner Hints at Massive Changes Coming This Offseason

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 25, 2025 1:33 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs were bounced out of the postseason in the second round, ending what was a special year in Toronto. Once again, Toronto suffered an early playoff exit, and they now head into an offseason full of big questions.

The team has a few crucial players scheduled to be free agents, and it could see the roster look very different. But it may be time for the Maple Leafs to change things up after another failed run at the Stanley Cup.

Keith Pelley, president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, spoke very candidly at a press conference early this week, offering some thoughts on the upcoming offseason.

"I think we have to be on the pathway to win the Stanley Cup," Pelley said. "I think the city has told us that, the media has told us that. We haven't won since 1967. When you look at the last 11 years, no other team has made the playoffs nine years. That's a testament to the development and foundation that Brendan built. Our next step is to take it to the next level and we felt that this move would help us get to the next level. Make no mistake about it, making the playoffs and winning rounds is not our aspirational goal; our goal is to win the Stanley Cup."

Toronto is in the business of winning, and any season that goes by where they don't win the title is deemed a failure. The Maple Leafs operate in the same realm of pressure as the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Lakers in their respective sports.

Pelley understands that something needs to be done, but it remains to be seen how drastic of measures will be.

"Today is not easy; today is hard," Pelley said. "But change is hard. We made a lot of change over the last year with this team and we've made progress. Further change will probably be needed to get us to the next level and yesterday was the first step in that direction."

This upcoming offseason will be massive for the Maple Leafs and could change the entire trajectory of the franchise. Fans want to win, and it seems that ownership has heard them loud and clear.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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