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Buffalo Sabres spring acquisition Sam Carrick appeared to suffer a serious arm injury after fighting Anders Lee of the Islanders tonight, seen in a clip shared by Bleacher Report Open Ice.
Carrick dropped the mitts with Lee in retaliation after the Islanders captain delivered a hard hit on Buffalo’s Josh Norris. As he went down at the end of the scrap, he was immediately in serious pain. The center did not return, and with just seven regular season games on the schedule for the team after tonight, there’s a real possibility Buffalo has lost a key veteran for the playoffs.
Acquired on March 6 from the Rangers in exchange for a third and sixth rounder, Carrick has been a great fit with the Sabres. He has five goals in 12 games, of course not sustainable with a shooting percentage just under 28%. Even when that inevitably cools off, he’s winning 58.2% of his face-offs and killing penalties as a solid fourth line center right as advertised.
Also evident considering his willingness to take on a larger player in Lee for the sake of a teammate, Carrick plays a role any team needs in the playoffs. Especially a younger group, who will end a 15-year-long drought and enter uncharted territory.
The hope is that Carrick has somehow not suffered a season-ender, but if so, Joshua Dunne might have to step back in at a crucial time. Buffalo is back at it Thursday as they aim to put the keep their foot on the gas rolling into a potential run.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Senators defenseman Carter Yakemchuk suffered a concerning injury tonight as observed by Julian McKenzie of The Athletic. He sustained a hard hit from Florida’s Noah Gregor which was concentrated in the head area, and had trouble getting back up, eventually requiring help to get off the ice. Gregor was assessed a game misconduct. It was a tough night for the Sens as they lost convincingly to the bottom-feeding Panthers while in desperate need of points. Ottawa’s top prospect, Yakemchuk made his NHL debut one week ago today, getting a look especially as Jake Sanderson remains out. The 20-year-old burst onto the scene with a goal and an assist in his first game. As a righty, he fits perfectly into a well-assembled core from the other side for years to come. Ottawa hopes their youngster will be back by Thursday against Buffalo.
- Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said on yesterday’s edition of The Leafs Nation that head coach Craig Berube was likely not anticipating yesterday’s firing of general manager Brad Treliving. Pagnotta suspects that he hasn’t been told anything as to his future with the club. The 60-year-old has a contract which runs through 2027-28, but his Leafs tenure could be winding down, about to finish only his second season with the team, where he’s had an 84 – 56 – 17 record. Toronto’s constant turnover behind the bench needs to change, but it only makes sense for the team to start fresh this summer. Any new GM typically prefers bringing in their own selection, especially with some strong candidates available, headlined by Bruce Cassidy. Berube, known for leading the Blues to a remarkable run to a Stanley Cup in 2019, could also benefit from a new challenge with the Leafs sputtering despite his efforts.
Maple Leafs Fire General Manager Brad Treliving
3/31/26: In his press conference Tuesday, Pelley told the media that Maple Leafs assistant general managers Brandon Pridham and Ryan Hardy will share the duties of interim general manager while the club conducts its search for its next full-time leader of hockey operations.
Pridham has been widely speculated as a likely candidate for a potential promotion to the general manager position. The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke wrote today that Pridham is “razor sharp” and noted that he “has been a candidate of interest for GM positions around the league previously.”
Hardy has been with the Maple Leafs since 2021-22, arriving there after a three-year stint as general manager of the USHL’s Chicago Steel. In Chicago, he was the USHL’s General Manager of the Year twice, and won the league’s Clark Cup championship in 2021.
In Toronto, he’s served as GM of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. Under his management, the Marlies have made the AHL’s playoffs for three consecutive campaigns. They won the league’s North Division in 2022-23 and defeated the Utica Comets in a first-round playoff series.
3/30/26: With a disappointing season coming to a close, the Toronto Maple Leafs shared big news; they’re parting ways with General Manager Brad Treliving.
In a statement from Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President & CEO Keith Pelley, it was said “Throughout the course of the season, there has been deep analysis into both the current state of the Maple Leafs organization and the direction needed to achieve the ultimate goal of delivering a Stanley Cup championship to the city”.
There was no real need for Pelley to elaborate; it has long been apparent that change was needed. Named as the 18th GM in franchise history on May 31, 2023, the book closes on the Treliving era defined by its disappointment, cutting short one more year on his contract.
Major question marks on Toronto’s future already existed when he took the helm; fresh off another painful playoff defeat in the second round at the hands of the Florida Panthers. Still, there was reason for optimism, that perhaps a new voice could take what Kyle Dubas had built and shape it into a true contender.
In came Treliving, after serving as GM for the Calgary Flames from 2014-23, a strong period for the Alberta franchise. In his tenure, Calgary won two Pacific Division titles and were a real Western Conference threat. Shortly before his time ended though, Treliving dealt young superstar Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in a highly scrutinized trade. It has netted the Panthers multiple Stanley Cups, while Calgary has fallen into a rebuild. Unfortunately, things haven’t aged much better for the Maple Leafs either, who are in a far worse spot than they were three years ago.
Treliving was reserved at first, adding veterans but holding their biggest assets. It was probably the right move to not go crazy on renovations out of the gate, but the patience didn’t work out. Another heartbreaking Game 7 defeat by Boston, and it was time for real change.
Thankfully keeping his first round selection, Treliving went with defenseman Ben Danford in 2024. He didn’t stop there, swinging a sign-and-trade with Chris Tanev, reuniting from Calgary, with a six-year pact worth $4.5MM per year. The respected defender is exactly the player the Leafs needed, but he was already 34, and it was clearly a “worry about it later” contract.
Then came the 2024-25 campaign, proving to be the team’s most successful season under Treliving. Toronto finished fourth in the league with an impressive 52-26-4 record. Buzzing along with hopes of finally breaking through on a deep playoff run, it was time to push the chips in and get aggressive at the trade deadline. This is where things went wrong.
Across multiple trades, the Maple Leafs relinquished their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, along with skilled youngsters Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin. The haul brought them Scott Laughton from Philadelphia and Brandon Carlo from Boston. A steep price to pay, the duo were the exact players the Leafs were missing in playoff shortcomings of past, but it had to pay off in May.
Toronto managed to get by the underdog Senators in six games, and were rewarded with a rematch against the defending champions in Florida. Treliving’s club went up 2-0 in the series, effectively the peak of the entire “Core Four” era. 11 days later though, they found themselves in another Game 7, coming up short yet again in a resounding defeat. The team was right there, so close, but it didn’t matter. As we all know, Mitch Marner moved on, and Treliving was left painted into a corner.
2025-26 marks one decade since the Leafs last missed the playoffs, but the streak will end, for the first time in the Auston Matthews era. There was optimism that Marner’s departure would lead to the emergence of other forwards, but that wasn’t the case. Toronto sits at 24th in the league today, and they’ll be desperate for some lottery luck into the top five, or else their first rounder will go to Boston as salt in the wound.
Fortunately earlier this month Treliving obtained a 2027 conditional first rounder from Colorado for Nicolas Roy, as well as a 2027 second round selection from Seattle for Bobby McMann. It’s a parting gift after most of his moves made the team only older.
All that being said, the Treliving era comes to an end after a 139 – 92 – 27 record and a single playoff series win over Ottawa.
It’s much debated where things went off the rails. Many point to the 2025 deadline deals, but in a way, the downfall may have started on July 1, 2023, when Marner’s no-trade-clause kicked in. Treliving had just taken the job, and dealing Marner would have sent shockwaves across the organization. From his perspective it was probably never a serious possibility. However, with hindsight today, it’s a situation many Leaf fans wish was handled differently.
Maple Leafs management now must find a replacement, with the pressure of desperately salvaging the Matthews/William Nylander/John Tavares core before it is too late. Head coach Craig Berube‘s seat is hot as well, and Toronto could consider a clean slate entirely. Former Vegas bench boss Bruce Cassidy, who was shockingly let go yesterday, presents a great opportunity for the Maple Leafs to obtain a top coach.
Brandon Pridham, current Assistant General Manager of the club, has gotten some noise as due for a promotion, and it might as well be in Toronto. The 52-year-old Ontario native’s time with the Leafs dates back to 2014, starting as a Special Assistant and working his way up to his current role, which he’s held since 2018.
Rob Blake, former Kings’ General Manager, is an Ontario native who could garner some interest as a candidate with prior experience. The former superstar defenseman’s Los Angeles tenure was doomed after continuous early playoff exits, however.
Brendan Shanahan, who served as President from 2014-25, would be a fascinating story if there was ever a possibility for him to return. It would be his first General Manager role, with a chance to clean up what he helped put together.
In terms of recycled candidates, there isn’t the strongest list. There’s no immediate name which is far and away the best option, as Toronto could go in all sorts of different directions. As a storied franchise with a roster which is flawed, but still loaded on paper, they should have no shortage of hopefuls.
A respected veteran in the game, Treliving, 56, should find another role in the league where he could reach 20 years of experience next season. Meanwhile, whoever comes next in Toronto has the opportunity to etch themselves into Maple Leafs history forever, although they’ll be facing a formidable task in righting the ship.
Maple Leafs Linked To Mike Gillis For GM Vacancy
The Maple Leafs have shown an interest in former Canucks general manager Mike Gillis in the exploratory stages of their search for a new GM, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said Tuesday on Sportsnet 590’s “The FAN Hockey Show.”
Toronto announced Monday night that they had fired Brad Treliving, who had one year left on his contract. Earlier today, Keith Pelley, the president of the team’s ownership group, said the new hire for the role “[has] to be data-centric” (via Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic).
Gillis would fill that role. The 67-year-old’s NHL front office resume is limited, and he hasn’t held a GM role for nearly a decade, but he was one of the league’s most progressive executives when he assumed his duties in Vancouver in 2008.
Gillis’ six-year run in Vancouver was one of the most successful in Canucks franchise history. They had a 261-146-51 (.626) record in six seasons under Gillis, won a franchise record five consecutive division titles, took home back-to-back Presidents’ Trophies, and got all the way to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
After falling out of the playoff picture in 2014 for the first time in Gillis’ tenure, he was fired. Since then, he served on the board of directors for Genève-Servette HC in Switzerland from 2016 to 2018. He was an NHLPA consultant from 2021 to 2023 regarding business development, but has largely stayed quiet since then.
If he were to take the helm in Toronto, it would be something of an ironic full-circle moment, considering he filed charges against the Leafs in 2009 in one of the only real tampering incidents the NHL has had in recent memory. Gillis ended up winning both of his claims, which saw the league fine Toronto head coach Ron Wilson for expressing his desire to sign Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin if the Canucks franchise icons ended up reaching free agency. The league also issued a warning to the club for airing a clip in which then-Leafs GM Brian Burke alleged Gillis had offered several assets – including Alexandre Burrows and Kevin Bieksa – to attempt to acquire the second overall pick in the 2009 draft from the Lightning, which they ended up using on Victor Hedman.
Djurasevic Signs Two-Year AHL Deal
- The Maple Leafs have dipped into college free agency again. This time, their AHL affiliate announced that they’ve signed defenseman Frank Djurasevic to a two-year deal beginning next season. The blueliner will still join the Marlies now, just on a tryout agreement. Djurasevic had one year of eligibility remaining but instead will turn pro now. This season, the 24-year-old saw his production get cut in half at the University of Maine. In 2024-25, Djurasevic had 28 points in 37 games but he was limited to just 14 in 34 contests this season.
Maple Leafs Reassign Bo Groulx
The Maple Leafs have assigned center Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the team’s media relations department announced Friday.
Groulx, 26, was recalled following the trade deadline earlier this month to serve as a fill-in down the middle after Scott Laughton was dealt to the Kings and captain Auston Matthews suffered a season-ending MCL injury. In his first NHL action in nearly two years, the 6’2″ middleman scored three goals and two assists for five points in nine games.
The Rouen, France, native is signed through next season after inking a two-year, $1.625MM contract last summer following a non-tender by the Rangers, with whom he spent the entire 2024-25 campaign in the minors. His efficient scoring performance, plus a +5 rating while averaging north of 15 minutes per game in heavy defensive usage, might very well make him a favorite to land a bottom-six center job in training camp next fall.
Groulx was a second-round pick by the Ducks in 2018. While he only scored a goal and five points in 65 games with them before they cut him loose with a non-tender in 2024, he’s demonstrated improved offensive acumen in the minors since getting a fresh start in the New York and Toronto organizations.
This season, Groulx is the Marlies’ scoring leader with a 27-23–50 line in 54 games. He “wanted to go down and help them and play,” head coach Craig Berube told reporters Friday (including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun), offering some insight into why he was flexed back down despite his strong performance in a middle-six role over the past few weeks.
With Matthews out, the Leafs no longer have an extra healthy forward on the active roster. If there’s an injury, they’ll need to make an emergency recall from the Marlies to ice 12 forwards.
Maple Leafs Sign Hayes Hundley To Entry-Level Deal
The Maple Leafs announced Friday that they’ve signed college free agent defenseman Hayes Hundley to a three-year, entry-level deal. Financial terms were not disclosed, but they did confirm the deal begins next season. He will finish out the current league year with AHL Toronto on a tryout.
Hundley, 21, turns pro after only one year in the NCAA with the University of St. Thomas. The 6’3″, 207-lb righty contributed a 6-6–12 scoring line and a +10 rating in 38 games for the Tommies, ranking fourth on the team’s blue line in scoring.
It’s a surprising development to see a previously unheralded, undrafted name go pro after only one year in the college circuit, but the Leafs were far from the only team to show interest in the shutdown rearguard, Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff reports. He’s the third free agent signing the Leafs have made from the NCAA in this year’s cycle, joining Northeastern defenseman Vincent Borgesi and Union forward Brandon Buhr.
An Ohio native, Hundley played several years in the Blue Jackets’ youth program before jumping to Tier II juniors with the Johnstown Tomahawks of the NAHL in 2023-24, which would have been his post-draft season if he had been selected when he was initially eligible. He then moved up to high-level juniors with the USHL’s Fargo Force, again staying just one year before heading to St. Thomas. If Hundley plays for the Marlies down the stretch, that will mean he’s jumped up four development levels in less than three calendar years, a rapid ascension.
Hundley’s contract gives Toronto 32 deals on the books for next year, with 18 contract slots remaining. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2029.
Maple Leafs Reassign Dennis Hildeby
March 25: Hildeby has been reassigned back to AHL Toronto, the team announced. He did not dress for Tuesday’s win over the Bruins, as Stolarz started and made 18 saves on 20 shots.
March 23: The Maple Leafs announced they’ve recalled goaltender Dennis Hildeby from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. He could dress tomorrow against the Bruins in place of Anthony Stolarz, who was scheduled to start Saturday night’s loss to the Senators but had to go to the hospital to get checked out after taking a puck to the throat during warmups. Stolarz skated with the team before practice this morning, sporting a neck guard, per Nick Barden of The Hockey News, so he shouldn’t miss too much time.
It has been an incredibly trying season for the 32-year-old Stolarz, losing his tenuous grip on the Leafs’ starting job to Joseph Woll. After back-to-back seasons of leading the league in save percentage in limited tandem/backup deployment, his numbers have taken a nosedive to a .894 SV%, 3.34 GAA, and 8-9-3 record in 21 starts and one relief appearance. He has accounted for -8.2 goals saved above expected after a great 25.8 figure last season, per MoneyPuck. That led to Toronto making him available at the trade deadline despite him signing a four-year, $15MM extension last September, but no deal was made.
Injuries have long stopped the high-ceiling Stolarz from ever becoming a true #1 option. That hasn’t changed this year. A lingering upper-body injury kept him out of the lineup for over two months earlier this year, rendering him unavailable for 33 games. With the playoffs out of reach in Toronto, there’s no reason for the Leafs to rush him back after what was surely a scary ordeal on Saturday, even if he’s been cleared.
For what it’s worth, they have a great third-string option in Hildeby. The 24-year-old was exceptional as Woll’s backup earlier this year when Stolarz was sidelined, recording a .910 SV%, 2.90 GAA and seven quality starts in 19 total outings. A lack of goal support meant he posted a 5-6-4 record, but his 8.9 goals saved above expected during that run are still far ahead of what Woll and Stolarz have produced with far more usage. With Hildeby losing his waiver-exempt status next season, the Leafs will want to find a way to keep him around.
Anthony Stolarz Taken To Hospital
At the very least, it suggests that the NHL DoPS isn’t feeling any outside pressure to change the way they assess supplementary discipline. After Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas was suspended for five games for delivering a knee-to-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who suffered a season-ending injury due to the incident, there was an outcry from fans and media for the DoPS to impose stricter discipline to prevent such situations in the future.
- Netminder Anthony Stolarz did not make his scheduled start tonight because of an injury suffered in warm-ups. Before the game, the Maple Leafs announced that Stolarz was struck in the neck by a puck during warm-ups and was subsequently taken to a local hospital for further testing. Toronto has not provided any additional updates regarding Stolarz since.
Morgan Rielly Out With Lower-Body Injury
- Staying in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Morgan Rielly would miss today’s game due to a lower-body injury. It is believed that Rielly did not suffer the injury due to any direct play in Toronto’s recent game against the Carolina Hurricanes, but rather re-aggravated an issue from earlier in the season. The 13-year veteran has scored nine goals and 33 points in 67 games for the Maple Leafs this season, averaging 21:15 of ice time.
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Stecher Hopes To Re-Sign With Toronto
It has been a rough stretch lately for the Maple Leafs, who have gone from a bubble team within striking distance of a Wild Card spot to one that is jockeying for seeding in the draft lottery. However, while some veterans may be hoping to move on after the season, blueliner Troy Stecher isn’t one of them. Speaking to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, the pending UFA made it clear that he’s hoping to re-sign with Toronto for next season. Claimed off waivers from Edmonton back in November, Stecher is averaging just shy of 20 minutes per game since then, providing the Maple Leafs with a nice return on a deal that sits just above the minimum salary. Given how he has played in Toronto, Stecher could be in line to double his current AAV of $787.5K on the open market this summer should he get there.