Dallas Eakins says Maple Leafs need to diagnose truth, not perception of team ahead of pivotal offseason

The buzzword around the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2025-26 regular season was ‘culture’. Whether it was the lack of effort on any given night or the poor response to Radko Gudas’ hit on Auston Matthews, something seemed off within the locker room for this version of the Maple Leafs club. On Tuesday morning, Former Maple Leafs assistant and Toronto Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins joined Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill to discuss how he viewed the Maple Leafs’ culture under Craig Berube, how he viewed Easton Cowan’s rookie campaign and what he feels needs to be the first step in the next general manager’s tenure. 

“I’m a big fan of Craig Berube. He’s a really good coach, he is a demanding guy, and I think he can be an inspiring guy as well, but the one thing I really believe is that it just can’t be one guy. It can’t just be Craig trying to do the inspiring,” Eakins said. “It needs to be a group that is infecting the culture. I think when you come into a locker room, there is no buy-in, you are infected right away by that culture, and damn, you want to make sure that you have a good one going because I think it’s the lifeblood of really good organizations.”

While not much went right for the Maple Leafs this year, one of the lone bright spots was the progression of Easton Cowan as the season went on. The 20-year-old forward appeared in 66 games, recording 11 goals and 18 assists, while also becoming a fan favourite with his fearless ability to step up for teammates over the regular season’s final two months. Upon the completion of the regular season, the Maple Leafs announced that Cowan is going to join the Marlies for their upcoming playoffs. Over four games to close out the Marlies’ regular season, Cowan posted one goal and two assists. Eakins touched on the decision to allow Cowan to gain some professional playoff hockey experience.

“I love it. I’m all for that, all the time, every time, and I think it’s a great decision by the organization. I think it’s going to be a great experience for the kid. These kids come out of junior and college, where they were the guys. They were heavily relied on, and then you get into your first NHL season, and you aren’t the guy,” Eakins said. “Sometimes you can get lost, so go back to the Marlies, and he’s going to be heavily relied upon. They’re going to need a certain level of play out of him. It’s going to be expected, and I’m sure he’s going to wrap his arms around it, so I think it’s wonderful. I think any time you have that chance as a young player to go get that playoff experience, it’s an important one, and it’s going to be great for the organization moving forward.”

As for the organization, many questions surround whoever is going to be the team’s next GM. What happens with Auston Matthews? Do the Maple Leafs need to move a goaltender this summer? With many decisions looming, Eakins spoke about what he believes is the crucial first move for the organization.

“I think the first thing that needs to be done is they need to diagnose the truth and not the perception. There’s a lot of perceptions going on with the Toronto Maple Leafs right now, and you’ve got to get to the truth. You’ve got to figure out, can this team be competitive, or are they stuck in mud? Are your core players good enough to win in the NHL? What’s the prospect line look like? Are some contracts assets or anchors?” Eakins said. “Before you get to your first move, you better have diagnosed that truthfully and not perception-wise or by going off what the fans want to hear.”

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