Maple Leafs eliminated from playoff contention with loss to Sharks

The Toronto Maple Leafs were mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks.

Toronto entered the season with the league’s longest active playoff streak at nine years. This spring will mark the first time the Maple Leafs have failed to reach the postseason since drafting Auston Matthews first overall in 2016.

The club won only two series in that span and went 0-8 in winner-take-all games.

Toronto entered the Olympic break six points back of a wild-card spot but is 5-10-4 since the league reconvened in late February.

The Maple Leafs won the Atlantic Division last season with 108 points in Craig Berube’s first campaign as the club’s head coach. This year, Toronto ranks in the bottom five in expected goals against, shots against, and goals against at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Injuries have been a key factor in Toronto’s decline in 2025-26, with Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, William Nylander, and Matthews missing significant time.

Though the Maple Leafs sold a collection of players before the trade deadline, the team might still not draft in the first round this summer. Toronto dealt its 2026 first-round selection to the Boston Bruins last year for defenseman Brandon Carlo, but it’ll retain the pick and defer it to 2027 if it falls within the top five.

Berube is expected to be on the hot seat once the regular season ends. The Maple Leafs already fired general manager Brad Treliving on Monday.

Maple Leafs Had Multiple Matthew Knies Trade Offers Rejected

Brad Treliving was trying to blow up the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of this season’s trade deadline.

There’s been multiple reports floating around that Treliving, who’s now fired, was talking with several teams around winger Matthew Knies. The Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens are two of the frontrunners, who had interest, but Treliving was working a very hard bargain.

According to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Treliving was asking for two first-round picks and a top prospect in return for Knies. The Maple Leafs winger has had an up and down season after signing a long-term contract extension worth $7.75 million AAV through the 2031 season. The crazy part about Knies’ extension is the fact he has zero trade protection, so it made you wonder if Treliving had something up his sleeve early on in the term of the contract. Turns out only six months in he was looking to move Knies, and now he’s looking for a job, kind of funny how that all played out.

Kypreos also confirmed if Treliving wasn’t able to land two first-round picks and a top prospect, he would have settled for two top prospects and a first-rounder, or three top prospects. It was obvious, he was looking for three pieces for the 23-year-old power forward.

Knies has spent the majority of the season on the Maple Leafs top line with Auston Matthews. Bobby McMann and Max Domi have spent the most time with the two top liners this season, with McMann now shining bright for the Seattle Kraken. Meanwhile, Domi is likely being moved this summer and look for the Leafs to address their top-line right-wing position at the top of their priority list.

As for Knies, he’s recorded 21 goals and 60 points in 73 games, which is a career high, and with another star on the right side of the top line, look for him to reach 90 points next season.

The Maple Leafs may be a mess this season, but they have the pieces to make a quick turnaround for the 2026-27 season, and Knies is going to be a huge part of it, now that Treliving has been shown the door.