The Maple Leafs held their end-of-season media availability at the Ford Performance Centre on Thursday. <\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
In his first media session since suffering a season-ending injury on March 12, Auston Matthews<\/a> was asked about his future in Toronto.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t predict the future,\u201d the Leafs captain said. \u201cObviously there\u2019s steps that kind of have to take place. They\u2019re going to hire new leadership and management and stuff like that, so I don\u2019t really know.\u201d<\/p>\n MLSE parted ways with general manager Brad Treliving on March 29 as the Leafs stumbled down the stretch of a disastrous season that saw them finish 28th overall. A search is currently underway for a new head of hockey operations. <\/p>\n MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley believes the team can quickly get back into contention because they have the foundational pieces in place, including Matthews. <\/p>\n Does a retool sound good to Matthews? <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d the 28-year-old said. \u201cLike, I don\u2019t know what that means. You have to have a more clear understanding [of] what that means, retool, rebuild, whatever that is. That\u2019s something that\u2019s going to be up to the new management that we end up hiring and going from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthews did confirm he still believes he can win in Toronto and pointed out that the Boston Bruins<\/a> rebounded from a 28th place finish to make the playoffs this season. <\/p>\n \u201cI believe in the guys in this room and the people that we have here,\u201d the three time Rocket Richard Trophy winner said. \u201cWe\u2019re all hopeful that this is a one-off.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthews plans on having \u201corganic conversations\u201d with the new front office once it\u2019s in place. <\/p>\n In the meantime, the Arizona native was asked if he\u2019d like to reject any suggestion that he won\u2019t play out the final two years of his current contract with the Leafs. <\/p>\n \u201cAll that stuff, I mean, there\u2019s always noise and there\u2019s always chatter,\u201d he said. \u201cPersonally, I really don\u2019t pay attention to all that. I just focus on myself, focus on this team, and try to be part of the solution.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement before taking questions, Matthews did stress how much playing in Toronto means to him. <\/p>\n \u201cI love being the captain of this team,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it is an incredible honour to wake up every day and wear this jersey. That is not lost on me even despite the circumstances and the way this season went.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind the scenes, there is no panic about the future of the franchise cornerstone. <\/p>\n \u201cMy understanding is that privately some of the things that were discussed with Matthews were encouraging for the Leafs,\u201d said TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston. \u201cCertainly no one is leaving here today thinking he\u2019s gone, but there\u2019s going to be a lot more conversation and a lot more for him to evaluate as time goes on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMatthews leaving\u201d chant briefly starts in Ottawa <\/p>\n There were \u201cMarner\u2019s leaving\u201d chants during the playoffs last year @BarDown<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Would Matthews embrace a one-year retool? ‘I don’t know what that means’ When asked if he’d embrace a one-year retool to help the team get back on track, Auston Matthews says he’d need more clarification on what that means. Matthews goes on to say he “can’t predict the future” on if he’ll remain with the Leafs when he contract expires. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Matthews sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear in his left knee courtesy a hit by Anaheim Ducks<\/a> defenceman Radko Gudas<\/a> on March 19. None of the Leafs players on the ice confronted Gudas in the immediate aftermath of the play. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was an unfortunate play,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cI thought they responded in the third period, but it\u2019s an unfortunate play.\u201d<\/p>\n Toronto rallied to beat Anaheim during a penalty-filled final period. The Leafs then made standing up for each other a top priority down the stretch. <\/p>\n \u201cYou look at the response we had late in the season after the Auston injury and that\u2019s something that next year, starting in game one, that\u2019s the way we have to play,\u201d said goalie Anthony Stolarz<\/a>. \u201cWe have to play like bastards. We have to play hard and we have to play heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘We got served a slice of humble pie this year’: Stolarz discusses Leafs’ forgettable season Anthony Stolarz discusses the Leafs season and what went wrong, explains what his most recent injury was, how the group responded to his comments from earlier in the year about effort, and bouncing back next season. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Matthews required surgery to repair his knee. The rehab is going \u201creally good\u201d and Matthews expects to be ready for next season. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll have a pretty normal summer for the most part,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m about a month down now so a couple more months before I can start to turn it up a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthews suggested the recovery is even a little bit ahead of schedule. <\/p>\n \u201cI just got off crutches,\u201d he noted. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be standing here today so it\u2019s going well so far.\u201d<\/p>\n Gudas was only suspended five games, which led Matthews\u2019 agent Judd Moldaver to blast the NHL\u2019s department of player safety. <\/p>\n \u201cI think you probably know how I feel about the hit,\u201d Matthews said with a grin on Thursday. <\/p>\n Matthews finished the season with 27 goals and 53 points in 60 games. His goals-per game (0.45) was well below his career average (0.62). <\/p>\n The Leafs dropped eight straight games out of the Olympic break, which sealed their fate and Matthews did not score in any of those games. <\/p>\n \u201cComing back from the Olympics it was tough,\u201d said Matthews, who captained the United States to a gold medal in Milan and visited President Donald Trump at the White House before rejoining the Leafs. \u201cRiding a very big emotional high and then just trying to get back into it. From continuing to play, not really getting a break, travel and all that stuff, I found it kind of hard to get my game going back after the Olympics for a little bit.\u201d <\/p>\n Matthews snapped the goalless drought only minutes before the Gudas hit ended his season. <\/p>\n This is the first time in his career that Matthews will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs. <\/p>\n \u201cThis was a tough year and a frustrating year,\u201d he said as part of his opening statement. \u201cWe didn\u2019t meet the goals or the expectations that we set out at the start and ultimately that is on me. That\u2019s on us as players. We\u2019re the ones who have to go out there, compete, and play the game. We didn\u2019t do that well enough, consistently enough this year to put ourselves in a better spot. We love our fans. We appreciate our fans. I think we understand their frustration.\u201d<\/p>\n Why did the Leafs crash down the standings after finishing first in the Atlantic Division a year ago? <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a more complicated question than I can really answer,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cI mean, I think just the level of consistency that we didn\u2019t play with hurt, because I thought we had really good stretches of hockey throughout the year and put together some good games,.. but just the consistency night after night wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthews takes blame for disappointing season, believes he can still win Cup with Leafs Auston Matthews takes blame for the frustrating season, but expresses that he loves being the captain of the Maple Leafs. Matthews is hoping this season is a one-off and believes he can still win a Stanley Cup with Toronto. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n What does Morgan Rielly<\/a> think about the potential of being asked to waive his no-move clause? <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a challenging thing to answer when those conversations haven\u2019t happened yet,\u201d the 32-year-old defenceman said. \u201cBut after a year like this, after any year, but especially one that can be very disappointing, change is bound to happen. So, I think as an athlete you have to be prepared for that. It\u2019s not the first time it\u2019s crossed my mind. It\u2019s not something that anyone believes that they\u2019re not open to so when that conversation happens we\u2019ll deal with it accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n Rielly spoke as if it\u2019s a certainty the conversation will happen even though the team currently does not have a head of hockey operations. The longest-serving Leaf also spoke in the past tense at times during his media session. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always loved being in Toronto and being a part of this organization,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s very meaningful to me and I\u2019ve enjoyed every minute of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Rielly, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, later added, \u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to stay. I still want to stay. I love playing here. I love being a Maple Leaf and this organization means a lot to me.\u201d <\/p>\n Rielly warned that a return to contention is not going to be a simple process for the Leafs. <\/p>\n \u201cIn this league I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any easy fixes,\u201d he said. \u201cThe work that this team will have to put in to get back to where we want to be is extensive. Being outshot and playing too much time in D-zone are things we need to improve on, but it\u2019s more than just that.\u201d <\/p>\n Rielly on his future: ‘I still want to stay. I love playing here. I love being a Maple Leaf’ Asked about the potential of being asked to waive his no movement clause this offseason, Morgan Rielly said that while that thought has crossed his mind, his desire is, and always has been to be a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. <\/p>\n — <\/p>\n Does head coach Craig Berube<\/a> expect to be back next season?<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d the 60-year-old said. <\/p>\n Berube later clarified that he has not been given any assurances and will be awaiting a decision from the new head of hockey operations. <\/p>\n Berube was also succinct when diagnosing what went wrong for the team this season. <\/p>\n \u201cGoals against,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Only the last-place Vancouver Canucks<\/a> allowed more goals than the Leafs. Toronto\u2019s goals-against per game plummeted to 3.6 from 2.79 in the first season under Berube. <\/p>\n \u201cSystems are systems and they have to be executed to be successful,\u201d Berube said. \u201cWe have some good players here. We have to make some adjustments. We have to make some moves to bring in maybe some different players or different people, but there is a good core here, and good players, and good people. I do believe we can bounce back.\u201d<\/p>\n The team struggled to fill the void left by 100-point winger Mitch Marner, who was nominated for the Selke Trophy during his time in Toronto. <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to miss a player of his calibre,\u201d Berube said. \u201cEvery team, if they lose a guy like that, will miss him. At the same time, that is not the reason this season happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Leafs offer their support for Berube with his future unclear With Craig Berube’s future with the team uncertain, the Leafs offer their support for the head coach, and express how much respect they have for him. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n William Nylander<\/a> had a simple explanation for Toronto\u2019s troubles this year. <\/p>\n \u201cA lot of injuries I think piled up and I think was maybe a big factor looking back at it,\u201d said the winger. <\/p>\n Nylander led the team in scoring with 79 points despite missing 17 games due to injury. <\/p>\n The biggest injury issue was on the blue line as shutdown defenceman Chris Tanev<\/a> suited up in just 11 games. How confident is the 36-year-old that he can return to his top form next season? <\/p>\n \u201cVery confident,\u201d Tanev said. \u201cI feel like I work harder than anyone and I will continue to do that to get to where I need to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Tanev underwent core muscle surgery in early March. He had a check up in New York earlier this week and was told the recovery is going well. <\/p>\n Tanev initially sustained a groin injury on Dec. 28 at the end of a game in Detroit. <\/p>\n \u201cI just took a step and felt a pop,\u201d he said. \u201cRight when that happened I knew it wasn\u2019t good … Every doctor I saw said the exact same thing that you need surgery. I chose to wait for a little bit. I was hoping we were going to be in a playoff spot and I could try to come back and play in April. That was the goal and if that was the case I would have surgery after that.\u201d<\/p>\n Tanev described his experience this season as \u201cawful\u201d and took some of the blame for Treliving\u2019s firing. <\/p>\n \u201cObviously I\u2019m pretty hard on myself and disappointed how I was only able to play 11 games and sort of let a lot of people down.\u201d<\/p>\n Treliving signed Tanev to a six-year, $27-million deal in the summer of 2024. <\/p>\n Tanev shares how his recovery is going; is ‘very confident’ he’ll be back to his usual pace Chris Tanev discussed how his recovery from surgery on his core muscle in March is going, why he waited so long to undergo surgery, being ready for next season, and what went wrong for the Leafs this year. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Instability in the crease also led to the goals against ballooning this season. Toronto\u2019s team save percentage dipped from .912 last year to .897. <\/p>\n Stolarz and Joseph Woll<\/a> formed one of the best tandems in the NHL last season, but did not dress in the same game this season until Jan. 23. <\/p>\n Woll missed most of training camp and the first 18 games of the season due to personal leave. Stolarz struggled under the weight of the greater workload. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was the first time in my career where I kind of had the ball in my court and was able to run with it,\u201d the 32-year-old said. \u201cI was trying to be this perfect goalie and strayed away from what made me successful. Looking back at it, probably if I would\u2019ve had my normal mentality, my normal mindset, probably worked out a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz called out the team for a poor start to the season just six games in. <\/p>\n \u201cI thought we had a decent response after that,\u201d the New Jersey native said. \u201cI definitely didn\u2019t help. That was probably the worst stretch of my season there, so kind of didn\u2019t back up what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n Stolarz stressed that the controversial comments did not have a big impact on his play because teammates understood where he was coming from and showed support afterwards. <\/p>\n \u201cIt didn\u2019t weigh on me at all,\u201d he said. \u201cI probably regret the way I went about it. It most definitely could have been handled in the room, but I think sometimes what we need is tough love.\u201d<\/p>\n Amid a slow start to the season, Stolarz then sustained a nerve-related neck injury on Nov. 11. <\/p>\n After returning to the lineup just before the Olympic break, Stolarz seemed to regain the form that allowed him to lead the league in save percentage last year. But his season ended prematurely when he sustained a groin strain while making a routine save on April 8. <\/p>\n \u201cIt definitely sucks,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a save I\u2019ve made 500 times throughout the year between practice and games. I\u2019ve been through injuries in my career so for me it\u2019s not going to deter anything. I\u2019m going to hit the rehab process hard and do everything I can this summer and early this spring to ensure everything is good to go for next year.\u201d <\/p>\n Stolarz finished the season with an .893 save percentage in 26 games, which was down from .926 in 34 games last season. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Woll missed four games with his own groin injury in December. <\/p>\n \u201cSomeone once said availability is the best ability so that\u2019s definitely very important to me,\u201d the 27-year-old said. \u201cI do think I\u2019ve grown a lot in that sense of understanding what my body needs and getting better and better at that. And that will be a goal for the offseason too is getting my body ready to go a full season and to play the games I want to play.\u201d<\/p>\n Woll played 39 games this season, which was down from the career high of 42 he played last year. What\u2019s his goal in terms of games played? <\/p>\n \u201cTrying to decide if I want to share,\u201d he said with a chuckle. \u201cI\u2019ll probably keep my goals internal for the time being, but it\u2019s certainly more than 39 or 40. Yeah, I want to be a guy that plays night in, night out, that can stay healthy, that can be consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n Woll dropped eight of his final nine decisions and finished the season with a career-worst .899 save percentage. <\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, if I look at the season as a whole, I feel like I\u2019ve maybe had some stuff left on the table,\u201d he admitted. \u201cI know what I\u2019m capable of, what I\u2019ve shown here before, and I don\u2019t think I properly lived up to what I know I\u2019m capable of and that part of it is very disappointing for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Woll not ready to explain why he took a personal leave; overall thoughts on the year Joseph Woll meets with media following the Leafs season to discuss what went wrong for Toronto this year, his goals for next season, and says he’s not yet ready to explain his personal leave to start the season. <\/p>\n — <\/p>\n Dennis Hildeby<\/a> actually posted the best numbers among Toronto\u2019s masked men this season. The team\u2019s top goaltending prospect produced a .914 save percentage over 20 games (14 starts). <\/p>\n \u201cI think I proved I can play in this league which is a good first step and take it from there and keep on improving,\u201d the 24-year-old Swede said. <\/p>\n Hildeby is not waiver-exempt next season and believes he\u2019s ready to start in the NHL during the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s always the mindset and it\u2019s definitely going to be the mindset coming in next year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Goaltending and injuries were not the only issues that sank the Leafs. The skaters also struggled to stick to Berube\u2019s structure. <\/p>\n \u201cLack of execution, buy-in, emotion on everyone\u2019s part including myself,\u201d said winger Nick Robertson.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think buy-in was an issue,\u201d Berube stressed. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to play a certain way here and I don\u2019t think that we fully grabbed that buy-in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n Defencemen Jake McCabe<\/a> and Brandon Carlo<\/a> were the only two regulars who finished with a plus rating. <\/p>\n Matthew Knies<\/a> recorded an ugly minus-30 rating, which was the worst mark on the team. <\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting to have the plus-minus I do, really,\u201d said Knies, who also posted a career high 66 points. \u201cWe just needed to be better defensively. We just didn\u2019t have that commitment to defending well and defending first before offence.\u201d<\/p>\n John Tavares<\/a> finished minus-28, which was by far the worst rating of his career. He hasn\u2019t been this far below water since a minus-16 result as a second-year pro on Long Island. <\/p>\n \u201cI just gotta be more consistent,\u201d said Tavares, who led the team with 31 goals. \u201cI had some really good stretches of hockey. Obviously, I have to look at areas where I have to get better and the checking side of things, the defending side of things. [I was] just on for too many goals against. Those things obviously frustrate you, but you just continue to reflect on where you need to be better and improve and that\u2019s a major driving force. So, I obviously want to continue to be contributing like I am, but continue to push for more and expect a lot of myself to play at a high level. Everything I put into it, and still know and believe I can be a very impactful player for a while.\u201d <\/p>\n Knies says it was ‘crappy’ to hear his name come up in trade rumours Matthew Knies’ name surfaced in trade rumours just ahead of the deadline this year, as former GM Brad Treliving tried all avenues to acquire assets for the club. Knies spoke about what it was like to hear his name in those rumours, and more. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Tavares is the only Leafs player to dress in 82 games, but his season is apparently not done just yet. The 35-year-old centre plans to play for Canada at the upcoming World Championship in Switzerland. <\/p>\n \u201cObviously you want to be playing for the Stanley Cup, but any time you get the opportunity to represent your country, and certainly the stage I\u2019m at, you don\u2019t take it lightly,\u201d said Tavares. \u201cIt could only benefit me to go play.\u201d<\/p>\n Treliving is leading Hockey Canada\u2019s management group alongside Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> assistant general manager Jason Spezza<\/a>. <\/p>\n Tavares captained Canada at the 2024 World Championship. <\/p>\n Tavares ‘very confident’ Leafs can bounce back and return to playoffs next year John Tavares led the Maple Leafs in scoring with 31 goals in what was ultimately a disappointing season for the club, and he offered his thoughts about what went wrong this season, and whether or not the team can bounce back. <\/p>\n — <\/p>\n