The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing increasing pressure after a difficult stretch in the 2025-26 NHL season.
Toronto has lost six straight since the Olympic break. The slide began with a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and continued with losses to Florida, Ottawa, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and the NY Rangers. The latest result, a 6-2 loss to the Rangers, deepened the team’s struggles in the playoff race.
General manager Brad Treliving recently addressed the team’s struggles and warned that a major evaluation will be made at the end of the season.
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Treliving acknowledged the disappointing season and took responsibility for the team’s current situation.
“I think there are a lot of reasons,” Treliving said. “I will take responsibility… The failure here starts with me. When the season is over, there will be all kinds of evaluations. There will be many.”
The Maple Leafs currently hold a 27-25-11 record and are in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with 65 points. As the postseason approaches, the team remains outside a playoff spot in one of the NHL’s toughest divisions.
The general manager pointed out several issues that contributed to the team’s poor performance this season.
“We got off to a bad start,” Treliving said. “From my perspective, there were a number of factors, including roster construction issues, lack of consistency, and not being able to maintain any kind of level.”
Toronto becomes a seller at the 2026 trade deadline.
Toronto also made a big move at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Maple Leafs acted as sellers rather than buyers.
The team traded Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche, Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken, and Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings. In return, Toronto received several draft picks.
This move marked a change in direction for the organization. However, Tre Living postponed the explanation, saying, “Today is not the day of the autopsy.”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMahon (74) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto’s offense has been good this season, but it has been held back by poor defense. The team allows 3.46 goals per game, which is not at all good enough to compete in the Atlantic.
With the regular season heading into mid-March, Treliving’s message made one point clear. A full evaluation will take place at the end of the season.
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