While the Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from Brendan Shanahan on Thursday, the team intends to keep general manager Brad Treliving, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Treliving will report directly to MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley, per Johnston.
Maple Leafs Rumors
David Kämpf Joins Team Czechia
- Team Czechia couldn’t defeat Team Sweden today despite having an extra reinforcement. TSN’s Chris Johnston reported yesterday that Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kämpf joined his home country for the quarterfinals. He managed one shot on net in 17:09 of ice time with a -1 rating in the loss.
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Maple Leafs Won’t Renew Brendan Shanahan’s Contract
The Maple Leafs will not be renewing the contract of team president Brendan Shanahan, the club announced.
In the announcement, MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley wrote:
“Over the past 11 seasons, Brendan Shanahan has made countless contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice, off the ice, and in the community. Brendan is one of the most respected leaders in the game, and he has instilled many of the traits that were the signature of his Hall of Fame career throughout the organization, uniting this storied franchise in the ‘Honour, Pride and Courage’ that it was founded on. Our responsibility and driving motivation, however, is to add a new chapter to the Maple Leafs’ championship history, and it was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead. The franchise will be forever grateful for Brendan’s contributions and wishes him and his family every success and happiness in the future.”
In a follow-up statement provided by Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Shanahan said, “While I am proud of the rebuild we embarked on starting in 2014, ultimately, I came here to help win the Stanley Cup, and we did not. There is nothing more I wanted to deliver to our fans, and my biggest regret is that we could not finish the job.”
Although the Maple Leafs never advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals under Shanahan’s leadership, the organization embarked on a meaningful return to relevancy. Before Shanahan took on the role as team President, the Maple Leafs had only qualified for the postseason once in the previous decade.
Shanahan helped put the pieces in place for the development of the ’Core Four’ in Toronto, although the team selected William Nylander a year prior to Shanahan’s hire. The quartet has combined for a plethora of individual hardware, and has pushed the Maple Leafs to the postseason in nine consecutive years.
Still, as Shanahan mentioned, the team hasn’t had much success in the postseason. Toronto has only made it out of Round One twice during that span, and has accumulated a playoff record of 31-39 under his stewardship.
Outside of Shanahan, all signs indicate that the Maple Leafs aren’t localizing this summer’s changes in the executive suites. There’s expectation that the team will let winger Mitch Marner walk during this year’s free agency, opening up financial room to explore other options.
Shanahan shouldn’t be available for long. Reports yesterday indicated that the New York Islanders have already been granted an interview with Shanahan for their top leadership position.
Islanders Obtain Permission To Interview Brendan Shanahan
1:45 p.m.: The Leafs have granted New York’s request and made Shanahan available for interview, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
12:57 p.m.: The Islanders have asked the Maple Leafs for permission to interview Brendan Shanahan for their vacant president of hockey operations role, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports Monday. It’s still unknown whether that permission was granted, Pierre LeBrun of TSN relays.
Shanahan, who’s served as Toronto’s president since the 2014-15 season, is on an expiring contract. After another Game 7 defeat and no Conference Finals appearances during his 11-year tenure, few expect him to receive an extension offer from the Maple Leafs.
While Toronto’s ownership group doesn’t “want to make any knee-jerk or emotional decisions,” Johnston writes, their blown 2-0 series lead to the Panthers in the second round and 6-1 losses in Games 5 and 7 at home “has left ownership disappointed and embarrassed,” per league sources. If they opt not to renew Shanahan’s contract, it’s likely they’ll move forward with general manager Brad Treliving as their top hockey operations decision maker and not replace Shanahan’s president role.
As for the Islanders, they’re looking for both a president and general manager after parting ways with Lou Lamoriello, who held both of those roles, a month ago. Their search is reportedly down to Kings senior advisor Marc Bergevin and Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche. While they may consider giving dual POHO/GM duties to Bergevin, who had experience pulling double duty during his time with the Canadiens, Darche would be a GM-only hire as he steps into the chair for the first time. Toronto’s willingness to let Shanahan get involved in the Islanders’ search could thus influence their decision between Bergevin and Darche.
Shanahan’s role with the Leafs was the Hall-of-Fame winger’s first with an NHL club. His previous executive experience came with the league offices as their VP of hockey and business development from 2009 to 2011 and then VP of player safety from 2011 to 2014.
The Maple Leafs Can Keep Their Contention Window Open
It’s too early for most Toronto Maple Leafs fans to speculate on what to do this summer to get this team to the next level. Fans are understandably emotional right now due to another playoff disappointment in a long line of playoff disappointments, and many have called for a complete levelling of the personnel from management down to the players. And while very few pieces on the team have performed up to expectations, it’s unrealistic to expect a complete teardown. So, what should the Maple Leafs do this summer?
First, it’s essential to understand the current state of Maple Leafs management. President of hockey operations Brendan Shanahan has no contract for next season, and it sure doesn’t seem like he will get one with Toronto. Not after the complete collapse of this Maple Leafs team that just could never win when it mattered the most. Shanahan came into Toronto and unveiled the Shanaplan, which was objectively a failure as the Maple Leafs never made it out of the second round and lost every Game 7 they ever played in under his watch. Regardless of the results, Shanahan never wavered from his plan, even when it became apparent that he needed to pivot. Ultimately, he remained steadfast, and it likely cost him his job, or at the very least, it should have.
That should be the first significant domino to fall, and it will be another major shakeup in Toronto after they let general manager Kyle Dubas walk two years ago and sent former head coach Sheldon Keefe packing last summer. But that can’t be it, Toronto can’t just march in another president of hockey operations and call it a summer; they need real change on the ice, palpable, brutal, change that shakes the makeup of their hockey team. It cannot be tinkering around the edges like the team has done in the summers past.
Toronto needs to let Mitch Marner walk; unfortunately, he will set sail for nothing in return. Toronto will gain significant cap space, and how they use it will be imperative to their future success. During his nine years in the NHL, Marner was an incredible point producer in Toronto, producing 221 goals and 520 assists in 657 career NHL games. The 28-year-old was also solid defensively and killed penalties, averaging 92 points per 82 games. But his playoff numbers were abysmal by his standards, tallying just 13 goals and 50 assists in 70 career playoff games. Marner went quiet when it mattered most, and he was never a game breaker for Toronto when the stakes were at their highest. Toronto can no longer afford to pay top dollar for a winger who disappears at inopportune times, no matter how effective he is in the regular season. Marner will surely command a lot of money in free agency, and he may go on to eventually win a Stanley Cup, but his time in Toronto ran its course, and running it back with him would be hazardous for both him and the Maple Leafs.
Toronto must also decide how badly it wants to keep John Tavares in the fold. The 34-year-old is at the tail end of his career and remains a solid point producer, but he is not the fleetest of foot, and his underlying numbers this season were some of the worst of his career. Tavares had 38 goals and 36 assists in 75 games this year, but couldn’t replicate his offensive pace in the playoffs despite some timely scoring. Tavares could still chase significant money in free agency, but the Maple Leafs should avoid paying market value to a player who has posted just 31 points in 51 playoff games with Toronto. If Tavares wants to remain close to home in Toronto, the Maple Leafs should play hardball and try to finally have one of the members of the core four sign a contract that is significantly under market value. If Tavares isn’t interested in offering a discount, Toronto should use those savings elsewhere and try to bring in another free agent to give the forward group a fresh look.
Beyond that, the Maple Leafs should let their remaining UFAs go and lock up Matthew Knies to a long-term extension. If Toronto opts to sign Knies long term AFP Analytics projects his deal to be in the neighborhood of $7.22MM per season long term, which would leave the Maple Leafs with 17 players signed for next season and $17.6MM in available cap space (if Matt Benning and Ryan Reaves are buried in the AHL once again). That lack of wiggle room makes it impossible for Toronto to bring back Marner and Tavares, even if they wanted to (Marner is projected to receive $12.95MM annually, while Tavares is at $7.94MM annually). Still, they should consider other options unless Tavares takes about half that projection.
So, what can Toronto do to fill out those final six roster spots? Well, the short answer is not a lot, at least not on the trade market, since they don’t have a first-round pick until 2028 and lack impact prospects outside Easton Cowan, Topi Niemela, and Ben Danford. The Maple Leafs have two choices: sign players through free agency or make hockey trades using roster players. Regarding where the changes might occur, the likeliest changes will occur upfront, where the Maple Leafs have seven forwards under contract, not including the aforementioned Knies. On the backend, Toronto’s entire defense is locked up for next year, as are both goaltenders.
The good news for the Maple Leafs is that the defense and goaltending free agent markets are weak, while the forward UFAs are stronger. This could open up the Maple Leafs to move out a defenseman for a reasonable return and to acquire salary cap room to sign a forward. Oliver Ekman-Larsson played reasonably well this season and has a 16-team no-trade clause, so he could certainly be dealt, but a move like that would put added pressure on the bottom defensive pairing, which they might not want to do.
The Maple Leafs have some contracts up front that they would no doubt love to rid themselves of. The final year of Calle Järnkrok’s contract could probably be moved with a late-round sweetener, and perhaps that is something Toronto will explore to give itself an extra $2.1MM in cap space for next year. Another option would be to try to move Max Domi and his $3.75MM cap hit, but with three years on that deal, it might be something Toronto has to hold onto. Domi wasn’t terrible last season but was miscast in the bottom six and struggled in the playoffs at times, despite having seven points in 13 games.
All the options in Toronto create many moving parts, but the Maple Leafs have to be careful not to change for the sake of change. They must be strategic about shuffling the deckchairs and targeting players who can insulate their remaining stars. So, who should Toronto target to bring into the fold?
Florida center Sam Bennett would be a top target, particularly if Tavares moves on. Bennett is a true warrior who is battle-tested and still reasonably young at 28. He gave the Maple Leafs a front row seat to see what he could do and would give Toronto an element of skill and sandpaper that had been missing during their past decade of struggle. Bennett is from Holland Landing, Ontario, which is a little less than an hour North of Toronto and may welcome a return to home, but cost could certainly become an issue as he will be one of the most sought-after free agents. AFP Analytics projects Bennett to receive a six-year deal for $6.64MM annually, which could become problematic in a few seasons given his style of play, but it would be a price worth paying if he plays at his current level for even half of the deal.
Speaking of Florida Panthers forwards, Brad Marchand should be a target simply so he can stop torching the Maple Leafs in the playoffs annually. Marchand is no longer a top-end forward, but he has proved his worth in these playoffs, particularly against Toronto. Marchand is projected to sign a two-year deal worth just north of $5MM per season, which would be a very reasonable ask given his resume and ability to get better as the games get bigger. Toronto desperately needs the intangibles that a Marchand-type player can provide, and his personality would probably thrive in a big market such as Toronto.
An off-the-board target that wouldn’t provide a massive impact but could be an under-the-radar signing is two-time Stanley Cup Champion Brandon Saad. The 32-year-old can still produce at a 40-point clip and remains a decent skater who can play off the rush. Saad still does well to get to the net, and he can cause issues for opposing goaltenders, using his hands in tight to provide offense. Toronto doesn’t have much of what Saad offers, and he isn’t likely to cost much more than $2MM on a one- or two-year deal. Saad also has considerable big-game experience, which the Maple Leafs lack, and like Marchand, could provide some veteran leadership to help Toronto’s stars in those uncertain big-game situations.
Change is necessary in Toronto this offseason, as the team can no longer tinker around the edges of the roster. Big moves need to be made, and the Maple Leafs will likely need to replace one or two of the core four by committee rather than with one player. It’s a difficult task, but not impossible, as Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane once said in the film Moneyball, “Guys, you’re still trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can’t do it, and we can’t do it. Now, what we might be able to do is re-create him. Re-create him in the aggregate.” While Billy Beane is discussing replacing one of the best hitters in baseball, the Maple Leafs might be tasked with replacing one of the best offensive producers in the NHL, and given the constraints in place, they will need to do it by committee. It’s a tall task, but as Beane showed back over two decades ago, it’s not an impossible one.
Photos by Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images and Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
William Nylander Joins Team Sweden At World Championship
Team Sweden has announced that winger William Nylander will be headed overseas to join their push for the 2025 World Championship Gold. This is the first time since 2022 that Nylander has been able to participate in the off-season tournament. He’ll join Sweden just in time for the knockout rounds, which begin with a matchup against Czechia on Tuesday.
Nylander has been a strong pillar of Sweden’s international lineups dating back to his U17 year. He posted 10 points in six games of the World U17 Hockey Challenge and three points in five games of the U18 World Championship in 2013; then returned to the latter tournament with a dominant 16 points in seven games in his draft season of 2014. Nylander was scooped up by the Toronto Maple Leafs at eighth-overall, and made both his AHL debut and World Juniors debut in the following season. He potted 10 points in seven games of the junior tournament and, two years later, joined Sweden for his first World Championship in 2017.
Nylander’s first World Championship run continued what was a true breakout year for the Swedish winger. He scored 14 points, split evenly, in 10 games – a nice compliment to the 22 goals and 61 points he posted in 81 NHL games that year. That season marked a switch in Nylander’s path, and he’s continued to dominate both NHL and international scoring at every opportunity since. The 29-year-old has totaled 37 points in 21 games across four career appearances at Worlds, while also tallying 612 points in 685 games and 10 seasons in the NHL. He’s a superstar addition this late into tournament action, and should be a hardy boost for a Swedish club that currently ranks sixth in tournament scoring.
Maple Leafs Notes: Tavares, Marner, Matthews, Nylander
The head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Craig Berube, has addressed Mitch Marner and John Tavares’ upcoming unrestricted free agency. According to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, when asked if he’d like them to return, Berube said, “100%.”
The news comes with little surprise, as few coaches would want 176 points to walk away for nothing. Still, a report from TSN’s Chris Johnston a few days ago suggested there’s no guarantee Marner will re-up with the Leafs this summer.
There’s more room for optimism when it comes to Tavares. Aside from Berube’s desire to have him back, Toronto’s former captain shared with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period today that he believes he’ll sign a new deal with the Maple Leafs, and has already spoken briefly to General Manager Brad Treliving.
Other notes from the Maple Leafs:
- In a vague comment passed along by Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said he’s been dealing with a ’mystery’ injury since training camp, and it flared up throughout the regular season and playoffs. Matthews played in fewer than 70 games for the first time since the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 NHL season, and achieved his lowest goal total since his junior campaign in 2018-19.
- There’s a chance that host country of the 2025 IIHF World Championships, Sweden, could get a major boost to their roster before the playoff round begins. According to Chris Johnston, William Nylander is contemplating joining his home country for the remainder of the tournament. Nylander hasn’t played in the international tournament since 2022, when he scored three goals and two assists in three games.
Maple Leafs Notes: Marner, Tavares, Berube, Game 7 Offense
With yet another Game 7 loss in the books, there’s little doubt that Mitch Marner’s future lies somewhere other than Toronto, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. After his first 100-point regular-season performance, Marner didn’t record a point in last night’s season-ending loss and saw only 18:43 of ice time, his lowest of the 2025 playoffs. He recorded eight points in six games against the Senators in the first round but had just one point and a minus-three rating in Games 4 through 7 against Florida.
As Johnston wrote following the Leafs’ Game 5 loss to put them on the brink of elimination, Marner testing the unrestricted free agent market this summer is nearly a given. In his media availability following last night’s loss, he referred to his Toronto tenure in the past tense:
“It meant everything. (They) took maybe a risky pick on a small kid from Toronto and I’ve been forever grateful to be able to wear this Maple Leaf, and be a part of some of the great legends here and be able to wear this jersey.”
Letting Marner walk will, of course, free up all of his $10.9MM cap hit to spend elsewhere on the roster. Retaining him on a long-term deal would have likely cost them an additional $2MM per season, if not more – TSN’s Darren Dreger said last night that an eight-year, $13.5MM AAV offer was on the table at some point (via Nick Barden of The Hockey News). Whether that flexibility is spent wisely will determine how quickly Toronto can execute a retool without their top scorer.
There’s more on the Leafs:
- Former captain John Tavares, also a pending unrestricted free agent, had a much different tone last night. He made it clear in no uncertain terms that he wants to come to terms on an extension to continue his career in Toronto (via TSN), although it’ll need to be at a considerable discount from his expiring $11MM cap hit. There were some extension talks during the season, but it’s not clear how close the two sides got to an agreement. The 34-year-old managed nearly a point per game in the regular season but only had a 5-2–7 scoring line in 13 postseason games, including a four-game point drought to end the playoffs.
- While last summer’s coaching change did help propel the Leafs out of the first round for the second time in three years, it didn’t get them to the Conference Finals for the first time in the salary cap era. “I think this team has fire,” bench boss Craig Berube told James Mirtle of The Athletic. “I can’t explain (what happened) right now, nor do I want to, (with Game) 5 and (Game) 7 at home. Obviously (there are) things that we have to look at and talk about as an organization.”
- The Maple Leafs’ powerhouse offense cocooning, not necessarily defensive missteps, have been what’s cost them in past Game 7s. That trend continued in 2025, with Max Domi’s early third-period goal registering as Toronto’s only output for the night. As The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel points out, Toronto has now been limited to just one goal in a remarkable five straight Game 7s.
Snapshots: Tocchet, Stolarz, Stars
Rick Tocchet landed with the Flyers for his next head coaching gig as many expected, but they weren’t the only team with interest in hiring him after he departed the Canucks organization. One club linked to him was the Bruins, who have yet to fill their vacancy.
After his brief stint on the free agent market came to a close, it appears that having some long-term front office stability was a priority for Tocchet as he decided which clubs to have mutual interest with, according to RG’s James Murphy. With Boston general manager Don Sweeney entering the final season of his contract and the team in a precarious, retooling position, that was enough for Tocchet to essentially withdraw himself from consideration for the role.
“He was concerned for two reasons – Sweeney’s status and Sweeney’s track record with his head coaches,” a source told Murphy. Boston has fired Bruce Cassidy and Jim Montgomery in the last three years, both of whom have gone on to either win a Stanley Cup or vastly improve their team’s outlook in their new roles in Vegas and St. Louis.
As Murphy points out, if true, Sweeney may have spoken too soon when discussing his confidence in landing his preferred candidate during his end-of-season media availability. “I’ll call you up and let you know if somebody turns it down, the invitation to interview for one of the most historic jobs in the National Hockey League,” Sweeney said at the time.
More from around the NHL:
- After a Game 6 shutout to keep his team alive, Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is getting the start again in tonight’s Game 7. Even if Anthony Stolarz, who was Toronto’s starter to begin the postseason but hasn’t played since leaving Game 1 with apparent concussion symptoms, was available to play, he’d likely go, but that’s not the case. Stolarz did not practice this morning and will not dress, according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. Veteran Matt Murray, who entered Game 5 in relief of Woll for his first playoff action in five years, will again dress as Woll’s backup.
- The Stars’ in-season moves are arguably the biggest reason they’ve advanced to the Western Conference Final in three straight years, Nicholas J. Cotsonika writes for NHL.com. Aside from Mikko Rantanen re-emerging as a superstar after his roller-coaster regular season that saw him arrive in Dallas from Colorado by way of Carolina, their depth has stepped up in considerable fashion with top defenseman Miro Heiskanen and top left-winger Jason Robertson – the latter of whom only has one point in five games – missing the majority of their postseason slate thus far.
Maple Leafs’ Matthew Knies To Play Game 7
May 18: Knies took line rushes at morning skate in his usual spot alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner and is thus expected to remain in the lineup for Game 7 tonight, per Johnston. Head coach Craig Berube later confirmed he’ll be in the lineup with no restrictions, per Kristen Shilton of ESPN.
May 17: The Toronto Maple Leafs could be without a top-line winger in their must-win matchup against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Matthew Knies has been dubbed questionable with an undisclosed injury, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic, after playing just 13 minutes in Friday night’s win. Knies didn’t play in the final seven minutes of Game 6 and seemed to be nursing his shoulder through his final few shifts.
Losing Knies would be a significant blow for the Maple Leafs at the worst time. The 22-year-old winger has locked in a role on Toronto’s top line and powerplay unit over the year’s second half. He’s tied for second on the team with five goals and ranks third among Leafs forwards in average ice time in 12 games this postseason.
The performance has come on the heels of a breakout year during the regular season. Knies scored 58 points, split evenly, in 78 games this season, while converting on 19.1 percent of his shots. He also ranked second among Toronto forwards with 182 hits. The performance was a significant stride forward from the 15 goals and 35 points he managed last year, and earned Knies as much as 24 minutes of ice time through points in the year.
Filling Knies’ shoes would have to be a group effort for Toronto. His absence would likely push Nicholas Robertson back into the team’s bottom-six, after he served as a healthy scratch for Game 6, despite scoring the Leafs’ sole goal in Game 5. It’d also push Max Pacioretty further up the lineup and into an upgraded powerplay role, rewarding his eight points in 10 postseason appearances. But in a must-win game, boosting two slight-frame wingers likely wouldn’t make up for Knies’ imposing physical presence.
That could spark more ice time for a bruiser like Steven Lorentz, or push Toronto to lean heavier on the hard-nosed play of a star like William Nylander. The shift in strategy and approach with those moves will make Knies’ match readiness one of the league’s top storylines as Monday’s decisive matchup looms.