The Toronto Maple Leafs were back in action last night against the Ottawa Senators in an all-important third game after the 2026 Olympic break. This was thought to be the game that decides their future as they head towards the March 6, 2026 NHL Trade Deadline in less than a week.
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Unfortunately, since the break ended and games resumed, the Maple Leafs have been terrible. And that continued last night. It was apparent right from the opening puck drop. They earned a power play (PP) just 30 seconds into the game and didn’t generate a shot. They were about to open the scoring as the PP ended, but after that, it was a tough watch. Toronto ended up losing 5-2 to the Senators, which moves them further from a wild card spot, essentially ending their playoff hopes. Now, the Maple Leafs’ attention will shift to what they can do at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline this coming Friday. However, before we get into that, let’s look at the takeaways from last night’s game.
Berube’s Lost the Room
This has been a point of contention for some time this season. The argument of whether or not Craig Berube has lost the locker room. And now it is clear that he very well may have. Last night, it seemed that his team looked disengaged and disinterested for large portions of the game.
Even after the game, Berube made a comment that probably didn’t sit well with the players.
When I look at the game or show tape and go over things, there is a certain way we need to play the game. But I can’t give guys [points to head] or [points to heart]. They have to come with that. That is on them. They have to bring the heart and competitiveness that is needed. They have to bring that. They have to want to bring that.
We can bring the Xs and Os. I can go in there and yell and scream at them all I want. That doesn’t do anything, either.
This sounds like a coach that is calling out his players that he knows aren’t listening. If they aren’t listening, it happens. This season hasn’t been good for a lot of players, and even if we look back to last year. Yes, they played well and won the Atlantic, but some players struggled under Berube’s defensive-first system. It could simply be time to not only change the culture on the ice, but also bring in a new coach to help lead the new era of Maple Leafs hockey.
Maple Leafs Need to Sell
If last night made anything clear, it is that this team needs to sell. They just aren’t good enough. They need to change the mix desperately. This season has shown that you can’t keep running it back with the same group that hasn’t had success. If they were three-time Stanley Cup winners, we could see the argument to keep them together, but they aren’t.
Related: Olympic Hero to Reality Check: Is Auston Matthews Out of Time?
They’ve had a handful of series wins but none past the second round. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported on his segment Saturday Night Headlines that the Maple Leafs are expanding their conversations regarding their tradable list. This could include players with term, and personally, after watching last night, it should.
“A lot of the talk was about the UFAs, and what they could do, but the word around the Maple Leafs now is that they’re widening their scope of what they’d consider. I don’t think it is anything like Matthews or Nylander — I don’t think we’re talking about anything like that — but the word around the league is that they’re widening their ideas of what they may consider. They are talking a bit more about players with term,”
This could include names like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Simon Benoit, Nicolas Roy, or even as far as Morgan Rielly. If they actually follow through on this new trade deadline plan, it would be a massive change. But it would be the change that is needed to really mix up the roster. There are a few interesting names that could be moved if the Maple Leafs are serious, and if they aren’t serious about fixing this, it’ll result in fans becoming more vocal and booing at games, or even a lot more empty seats in their arena. It’s time to make a change, a very drastic change.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs have a few games remaining before the March 6, 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. They play the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday at home before going on the road to face off against the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers on Wednesday and Thursday. That will round out the games before the deadline, where they could fall even further out of the race. If these three games out of the break haven’t determined anything, the next three games definitely will.
