Maple Leafs must look beyond selling off pieces for answers

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost again, and perhaps it is time for the franchise's board to think about changes at the top.

The Leafs fell 5-2 to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, and with that, they practically buried their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.

Head coach Craig Berube insinuated a lack of heart and mental toughness among his players. And beyond whether he has reasons to call that out, this can also mean he has lost the locker room's confidence.

"I can't give the guys this, or this, and they have to come with that," Berube said, pointing to his heart and his head. "That's gotta be on them, like, they gotta bring the heart and the competitiveness that's needed, and it's all the little things. They gotta bring that, they gotta want to bring that. We can bring the Xs and Os and I can go in there and scream and yell at them all I want, that doesn't do anything either."

Maple Leafs' problems start at the top with HC Craig Berube, GM Brad Treliving

Berube's face says it all. When the cameras point at him on the bench, you can see the frustration.

A clear sign of a serious problem is when players give up and don't seem able to give that extra push, but the bigger problem is that the coach has lost the room.

There is no simple solution for the Maple Leafs. Selling and restructuring the roster is an option, but it seems like a way to give up this year and start thinking about next. It makes sense, but the team's board will rarely take that stance.

Furthermore, Toronto's problem goes beyond the roster, and perhaps it is time to direct criticism at both Berube and general manager Brad Treliving.

Former GM Kyle Dubas has many things to criticize, but he was in charge of building the current core that led the Leafs to a couple of solid seasons.

Treliving, for his part, has left the feeling of wasting resources on players who did not end up generating a significant impact on the team. If the mindset of a clean slate is to be adopted, the ideal scenario would be not only to sell but also to rebuild from the very top.