The long, painful journey to the final game of this lost Toronto Maple Leafs season has come to an end. Now comes the truly difficult part — pinning down how exactly it all went off the rails, and finding a way to get the organization back on track.
Thursday marked the first step in that process, as the Maple Leafs spoke to the media at the club’s training facility in Etobicoke, Ont., reflecting on the first campaign in a decade that ended without playoff hockey. Much remains uncertain about the future of the club, about its front office and the players who don its sweater — the only thing that is clear is that changes are coming.
Morgan Rielly’s worn the Maple Leafs crest longer than any other player currently in the building, has seen the franchise at rock bottom and at dizzying heights. And as the team’s trajectory aims downward once again, he finds his name at the centre of chatter about the changes needed.
On Thursday, the 32-year-old was asked how he would feel if asked to waive the no-move clause granted to him when he inked his eight-year, $60-million extension in 2021.
“It’s a challenging thing to answer when those conversations haven’t happened yet,” Rielly said. “But after a year like this — after any year, but especially one that [was] very disappointing — change is bound to happen. So, I think as an athlete, you have to be prepared for that.
“It’s not the first time that it’s crossed my mind. It’s not something anyone believes that they’re not open to. So when that conversation happens, we’ll deal with it accordingly.”
The defender — who’s played 13 seasons for the Maple Leafs, including four that saw him top the 50-point plateau, and one that saw him put up a career-best 20 goals and 72 points back in 2018-19 — reiterated his affinity for the organization that drafted him fifth-overall back in 2012.
“I’ve always loved being in Toronto and being a part of this organization. It’s very meaningful to me, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to stay. I still want to stay. I love playing here, I love being a Maple Leaf, and this organization means a lot to me.”
That said, Rielly also made clear that the path back to post-season relevancy after this rollercoaster campaign will be a hard journey.
“In this league, I don’t think there are any easy fixes,” he said. “The work that this team will have to put in to get back to where we want to be is extensive. Being outshot or playing too much time in our D-zone are things that we need to improve on. But you know, it’s more than just that.”
Tanev ‘very confident’ he’ll be ready for training camp in September
The Maple Leafs’ blue line was a central topic of conversation all season, as the club’s struggles in their own zone started early and never went away. Key to those struggles was the loss of back-end stalwart Chris Tanev, who missed all but 11 games with injury in 2025-26 after establishing himself as a pivotal blue-line leader for Toronto a season prior.
Amid questions about whether the 36-year-old will be able to resume his career after his recent slate of injuries, the veteran said Thursday he believes he’ll be back on the ice for the Maple Leafs next season.
“I’m doing well,” Tanev said. “I was in New York Monday to see the doctor about my surgery and everything’s going great, everything’s on track.”
The defender said he doesn’t foresee any further surgeries being required following the core muscle procedure he underwent in March. Asked how confident he is in his ability to return to the ice next season, Tanev was adamant: “Very confident,” he said. “I feel like I work harder than anyone, and I will continue to do that to get to where I need to be.”
Originally injured in a late-December game against Detroit, Tanev said he delayed his surgery in the hopes of returning in the playoffs.
“Every doctor I saw said the exact same thing: ‘You need surgery.’ I chose to wait a little bit — I was hoping we were going to be in a playoff spot and I could try to come back and play in April,” he said. “That was the goal. If that was the case, I would’ve had surgery after that.
“But coming out of the Olympic break, we didn’t play as well as we wanted, so it gave me an opportunity to do it then, where I could have a bit of a runway to get ready for next season.”
Asked what he saw as the fundamental reason his club found themselves unable to claw their way back, Tanev said there are a number of issues that need to be ironed out before 2026-27.
“When you watch the game up there, everyone thinks they’re Wayne Gretzky. The game is so much slower from the press box than it is on the ice. So, it’s tough for me to really critique when I only played 11 games,” he said. “But I think we needed to execute our systems better, we needed to have some more pace. Depending on who you ask, there could be 20 different things.
“When things don’t go as well as planned, or as well as they need to go, there’s always issues that need to be addressed. I think whoever comes in at the top is going to have to look at that and see what the important issues that they see are, and then try to fix them.”
Knies on seeing his name in trade reports: ‘That’s not in my hands. I’d love to stay here.’
One approach considered by the club’s previous regime was moving out young power forward Matthew Knies, who found his name brought up in reported trade offers considered by former GM Brad Treliving and Co.
Signed to a six-year, $46.5-million deal prior to this season, the 23-year-old managed 23 goals and 66 points in 2025-26. However, injuries hampered his ability to truly take a step for the club.
“It came up earlier in the year, I honestly don’t even know what date — some time pretty early in the season,” Knies said of his lower-body injury. “I think it was kind of blown out of proportion, I don’t think it was as serious as it was [said to be]. It was obviously not comfortable to play with all year, but it didn’t really hinder me being out of the lineup.
“I’m happy now that I can let it heal up and rest it a little bit, and try to come back and be 100 per cent for next season.”
As for his name being considered in trade offers this season, and perhaps moving forward, Knies reiterated his desire to remain a Maple Leaf.
“It’s not in my control,” the winger said. “I can just focus on my attitude that I bring to the rink, the work ethic I bring to the rink. That’s for the guys upstairs, that’s not in my hands. I’d love to stay here. I want to play here. I think you’re going to hear that from everyone in this locker room.
“It doesn’t get to me, really, I’ve just got to focus on my game and trying to help the team win. That was my only thought this year.”
Maple Leafs point to lack of consistency, injuries as key reasons for lost season
As the dust settles on a disastrous campaign that saw Toronto finish in the league’s basement just one year after winning a division title, the Maple Leafs tried Thursday to sort through the wreckage of their disappointing season. The squad’s overall lack of consistency was brought up repeatedly by the dejected group.
“We never really seemed to get quite on track the way we needed to,” said John Tavares. “Our game obviously just didn’t build, get to the level that it needs to be consistently to have success, to put yourself in a spot to be in the playoffs. … We just didn’t do a good enough job. I think we all understand the roles we play as players, and certainly myself, the expectation and the standards that we want to uphold. We didn’t meet those.”
Asked why that consistency wasn’t there, despite the veteran experience in the group and the results they found last season, Tavares said the issues were plenty.
“It just didn’t really come together. You know, I think it’s always hard to pinpoint one thing. But certainly our level of execution, and just the challenge that it brings on a nightly basis in this league, the buy-in that everyone needs to have to be on the same page — and doing the things when they’re the most difficult, when they’re the most challenging, being able to sustain that. You know, having the fortitude needed to do what’s required on a nightly basis.
“As our game went throughout the season, it obviously was a real challenge — just spending a lot of time in our own zone, not having the puck very much, and then we just didn’t defend and execute, break out very well. That’s on everyone, starting with myself.”
Knies pointed to the club’s defensive performances.
“We can’t let in that many goals and expect to win games,” he said. “I think our defensive play, to be honest, was very subpar. We left our goalies out to dry a lot of the games. I think that was a part of it. I think towards the end of the season, our ability to generate offence wasn’t there. That kind of ties into consistency — not everything was there all the time.
“At parts I think we were good defensively, but the offence wasn’t there, and then vice versa. We’re going to have to put it together, all the pieces, next year, and completely buy into the system, show that it works.”
For Stolarz, it was the lack of bite and competitiveness that sunk them — the type of intensity he saw his former club, the Florida Panthers, bring routinely.
“You know, you look at the response that we had late in the season after the Auston injury. I think that’s something that, next year, starting at Game 1, that’s the way we have to play,” the netminder said. “We have to play like bastards. We have to play hard and we have to play heavy. There were times this year that we’ve shown it. We’ve played with some of the best teams in the league and were able to beat them. I think that was the toughest thing, was just the consistency. We hung with some of the best teams in the league, we beat some of the best teams in the league — it just wasn’t there night in, night out.”
William Nylander, who led the club with 79 points this season, chalked it up to the injury bug.
“I mean, a lot of injuries piled up,” the winger said during a brief availability Thursday. “I think that maybe was a big factor, looking back at it.”
Much was made of head coach Craig Berube’s system, and what seemed to be a lack of buy-in from his players this season, an issue that appeared to snowball as the tumultuous campaign wore on. Asked Thursday for his thoughts on that critique, Berube said he and his staff did try to tweak the system throughout the season to find a solution.
“You know, we did modify it this year at times. And it ended up being the same result,” the coach said. “It’s not like we’re not trying to work and help the players and try to get them to a different level. Systems are systems. They have to be executed to be successful.”
Berube — who said he hasn’t heard anything yet about whether he’ll be back next season — pointed to one area specifically when asked why his team fell off in 2025-26 after a successful 2024-25.
“Goals-against,” the coach said, point blank. Still, Berube said he believes the club’s current goalie tandem of Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz can find success again in Toronto.
“We did last year,” Berube said Thursday when asked if he could live with the duo returning. “And they were solid. We had a nice tandem, and I believe that we can have that tandem again. You know, this year, whether it’s a one-off or whatever, there was a lot of circumstances, with injuries and different things, that went on.
“It was a little chaotic in the goaltending department. But I do believe Stolarz and Woll are very good goalies, when they’re healthy and ready to go. I believe they can come back next year and do the job again.”
Tavares on belief Maple Leafs can bounce back next year: ‘We have to earn that’
The crucial question for the Maple Leafs faithful is where things go from here — was this campaign a one-off, undone by injuries and a mismanaged roster? Or was it a sign that the Maple Leafs’ window for contention has now slammed shut, and a new path must be charted?
Asked if they believe they can return to the playoffs Thursday, the Maple Leafs expectedly affirmed their belief in their group — but also noted it won’t be a simple process.
“I think in moments you have doubt. If you look at the record and after games, you have feelings of doubt,” admitted Rielly. “But ultimately I think that there’s a strong belief in here with this team, in the big picture and over the long run, that this team will be able to get back to a position of strength and a chance to win.”
“I think we have a ton of good players in here,” added Tanev. “Obviously we didn’t have a very good season at all. But we had — I’m not going to give excuses on injuries — but we had some guys that didn’t play a lot of the year. I think we can learn a lot from this year, and the importance of having a really good start to the season. Falling behind the eight ball and learning and adapting to how we can get better. There’s some amazing players in here, and I do believe that we can be a playoff team next year.”
“With the talent and the personnel in this locker room, I think that that’s definitely going to happen,” said Knies, doubling down. “It sucks to say, but with a summer like this, there’s time for guys to heal up and get prepared, just get as ready as possible for next season.”
“We have some good players here — we have to make some adjustments, we have to make some moves to bring in maybe some different players or different people,” said Berube. “But there’s a good core here, good players, and good people. So I do believe we can bounce back.”
Asked if he’s confident this group can return to the post-season after what just transpired in 2025-26, Tavares was more cautious with his optimism.
“Very. But we have to go out there and prove that and earn that,” the former captain said. “Just like, you know, we had high expectations for this year, and we didn’t come close. So, the challenge going forward for the group is to regroup, continue to work together to find the areas we have to be better. And then our level of play just has to be much, much higher.”