"Brad Treliving’s offseason is a massive failure" - NHL analyst drops Maple Leafs hot take, urges Toronto to add Top-6 forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs' offseason has not yielded the results needed to offset the massive loss of Mitch Marner, potentially risking the team’s chances of making the Stanley Cup playoffs next season.

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin sounded the alarm as he questioned the Maple Leafs’ offseason moves, especially in light of Marner’s departure. Larkin wrote the following in his July 10 piece:

“Matias Macelli and Nicolas Roy were savvy additions, but don’t come close to replacing Marner’s production. Now the Leafs’ top-end scoring will largely depend on Auston Matthews fighting off the chronic injury that reduced him from superstar to merely great in 2024-25, while they’ll hope John Tavares can repeat a 38-goal season at 35 years old.”

The seemingly dire prediction paints a bleak picture for Maple Leafs fans as Larkin believes the club’s hopes depend solely on Auston Matthews and a resurgent John Tavares.

Additionally, Larkin called the Leafs’ blue line into question by stating:

“The Leafs, despite their reputation as a tighter-checking team under coach Craig Berube, were a mid-pack defensive team at best this past season, relying heavily on fantastic years from goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll.”

Larkin’s assessment led him to determine that the Maple Leafs should make the playoffs next season. However, the club could regress as the Atlantic Division becomes increasingly competitive.

Larkin concluded his analysis by stating:

“If they don’t add another top-fix forward by any means necessary between now and October, GM Brad Treliving’s offseason is a massive failure.”

The Leafs have made several additions throughout the offseason as the club looks for the promised DNA change that could lead them over the playoff hump. Division rivals like the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings have made upgrades, while the Florida Panthers continue to be as strong as ever.

So, there’s plenty of reason to believe next season will be a challenging one for Toronto in the Atlantic Division.

Maple Leafs move on from Ryan Reaves as roster turnover continues

The Leafs traded Reaves to the Sharks as roster turnover continues- Source: Imagn

The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their roster churn by trading enforcer Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks late Thursday night.

The move was not completely unexpected after Treliving made it clear that changes were needed this offseason.

In return, the Leafs got defenseman Henry Thrun. Thurn is a 24-year-old, former fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks. He could be part of the Leafs' blue line depth, potentially seeing action at training camp this fall.

The Reaves trade might not be the last move the Maple Leafs pull off this offseason. Some other names are still believed to be on the trading block. So, fans might get more news before the summer is over.