Maple Leafs Fire Treliving and Berube, Signaling Major Offseason Overhaul

The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube, setting the stage for a major rebuild as the team looks to move on from a disappointing season. With new ownership set to take control, speculation is mounting that key players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly could be on the trading block.

Treliving, who led the Leafs through the past two seasons, took full responsibility for the team’s struggles during a recent interview on TSN OverDrive. “There was a drop-off there, and we didn’t have the buy-in,” he admitted. “When you’re the manager, you take responsibility, so the responsibility is mine.” The former GM stopped short of using injuries as an excuse, despite losing key goaltenders at critical times. “You can point to injuries and say we lost our goaltenders, but every team goes through injuries. To me, those are excuses,” he said.

Treliving also pointed to deeper issues with the team’s performance. Even in wins, the Leafs failed to control play, with poor shot share metrics across the season. “We weren’t controlling play, driving play, or winning the shot share,” he said. That lack of dominance ultimately caught up to them.

Berube’s firing came unexpectedly, especially after he was interviewed by incoming general manager John Chayka and former player Mats Sundin. That interview led to a quick decision to move on from the coach, who was widely seen as a potential long-term fit.

With new leadership in place, the Leafs are expected to conduct a full review of the roster. Players who may not fit the new vision could be traded. Names like Matthews, Nylander, and Rielly have already drawn speculation, with their contracts and on-ice performance under new scrutiny.

Treliving’s firing came after a season in which the Leafs finished 12th in the Atlantic Division, their lowest finish in over a decade. They lost 38 games, the most since the 2011–12 season, and had a minus-5 goal differential in their final four games.

The Leafs are expected to name a new general manager by the end of June, with Chayka likely to take the reins. With free agency and the draft approaching, Toronto is poised to make bold moves to reset its direction.