Memo to Maple Leafs' new hockey boss: Hope team's core satisfies you

Breadcrumb Trail Links

MLSE president and CEO identifies captain Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies as foundational players that will pave team’s path forward

Get the latest from Terry Koshan straight to your inbox Sign Up

Published Mar 31, 2026 • 4 minute read

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Maple Leafs players MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley on Tuesday identified captain Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies as being among the Maple Leafs’ foundational players. Photo by DAN HAMILTON /USA TODAY SPORTS FILESArticle content

The Maple Leafs’ foundational pieces have been let off the hook.

Advertisement 2

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors

Article content

That’s the word — foundational — that MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley used numerous times on Tuesday afternoon to describe the Leafs’ core.

Article content

To clarify, Pelley, during a scrum with media following his news conference at Scotiabank Arena, identified those players as captain Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies. No mention of Morgan Rielly, though the longest-serving current Leafs player might have slipped Pelley’s mind.

If the Leafs somehow find a path to glory and win the Stanley Cup, Pelley thinks the way will be led by that group.

“The way I look at it is (that) a rebuild is needed when you are starting from scratch,” Pelley said. “We all know that the Toronto Maple Leafs have foundational pieces in place.

Your Midday Sun

Thanks for signing up!

Article content

Advertisement 3

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

“As a result, with those foundational pieces in place, if we’re able to surround them with the right culture, with the right structure, with the right personnel both on and off the ice, then I would say that we would be in a retool, not in a rebuild. Having said that, I will always wait for input from the new head of hockey operations.”

What if a potential new hockey boss looks at Pelley and says, ‘Hey, I’ve been watching from afar for years, and I don’t think it’s going to work with this group.’

Questions abound

Following the firing of Brad Treliving, will the incoming president of hockey operations or general manager or whatever the title will be need to fall into line with Pelley’s thinking on the core as a hiring requirement? Does Pelley cross names off the list of candidates until he finds someone who thinks just like he does?

Advertisement 4

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

Ignore the fact that the cast of characters around the core pieces has changed numerous times during the past decade. Whoever the GM has been has figured he was providing the team’s best players with a solid support cast.

Among the core, only Mitch Marner, sent to the Vegas Golden Knights last year in a sign-and-trade, has departed.

Let’s recap what has happened in what we’ll call the Matthews era, which began in the 2016-17 season when he took the National Hockey League by storm as a rookie and won the Calder Trophy.

Brendan Shanahan was relieved of his duties as team president a year ago.

Three general managers — Lou Lamoriello, Kyle Dubas and Treliving — have been let go.

Two coaches canned, another to follow suit?

Two head coaches — Mike Babcock and Sheldon Keefe — have been fired. A third, Craig Berube, is expected to be shown the door at some point after the season ends.

Advertisement 5

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

All the while, the Leafs have won just two playoff rounds despite earning a ticket to the Stanley Cup tournament in nine consecutive years, a run that officially will come to an end in the next couple of weeks.

We put it to Pelley: Why is this group of foundational pieces so important going forward, considering the team has won nothing of consequence with it in place?

“Well, I don’t think you can pin that on the foundational pieces,” Pelley said. “I think to be successful, you need a full-rounded team. Florida is a perfect example of that. Tampa is an example of that. You can’t just have one or two superstars and expect to win a Stanley Cup. Everything has to be firing on all cylinders, and that means everything from on ice to off the ice, and we’re not there yet.”

Advertisement 6

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

Sure, but you need a leadership group capable of driving the Leafs to a Cup. All of the evidence points to an inability to do so.

The topic of culture was raised a few times with Pelley on Tuesday. He said it himself, regarding the importance of surrounding the players “with the right culture.”

But don’t the players build the culture themselves? If so, then what does it say about the culture and the core’s role in it when no one came to the defence of Matthews when he was hit by Radko Gudas three weeks ago? Why hasn’t this group of foundational pieces helped build a better culture within the dressing room?

Matthews, Nylander and Tavares all have no-move clauses, but what if a prospective GM interviews with a truly innovative plan that included talking to those players about potentially waiving the clauses and making trades that could make the future that much better?

Advertisement 7

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

Blowing up what?

That, to be certain, would not amount to “blowing it up.” Can a team that has had very limited post-season success in the prime years of its core really be blown up? What exactly is being blown up?

Usually when a person of Pelley’s stature holds court with media we’re left with more questions than answers.
Tuesday was no different.

“I’m not going to get deep into going through lineup or going through the assets that we have,” Pelley said. “We all know, everybody in this room knows, that we need to acquire more draft choices. We need to acquire more prospects.”

All the while, maintaining the key pieces that not only haven’t won, but have not come close to winning.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

Memo to Maple Leafs’ new hockey boss: Hope team’s core satisfies you

Tags: