The Leafs Lab Podcast

This week is a little different as Michael (LeafZone44) is away on vacation, so Jordan (Willyston Riellander) takes the opportunity to answer listener questions in the first Leafs Lab AMA episode.Before getting into the mailbag, we break down the Leafs' hiring of Judd Brackett and why bringing one of hockey's most respected talent evaluators to Toronto could be one of the most important moves of the offseason.Topics covered include:• Judd Brackett's hiring and what it means for the future of the organization• The Leafs coaching search• Jeff Halpern as a potential coaching candidate• Which Marlies have the best chance of making the roster next season• How Toronto should remodel its defence corps• The search for a second-line centre• Offseason priorities and roster construction• Buy-low trade and free-agent targets• Mats Sundin, Ivar Stenberg, and the 2026 NHL Draft• Power-play deployment with Gavin McKenna• Morgan Rielly's future• Bowen Byram and other realistic trade targets• Players Jordan was most right and most wrong aboutAlso, apologies in advance for the slightly clunkier and shorter episode. Solo podcasts are a different challenge, but hopefully this gives everyone something to listen to while we wait for Michael's return.Keep an eye out for the Trade Proposals Teaser this week!As always, thank you for listening, supporting the show, and sending in questions. Let us know what you thought of the AMA format and whether you'd like to see more episodes like this in the future.

On this week's episode of The Leafs Lab Podcast, we kick things off with a Matthews situation update — the latest Friedman reporting, what the Zoom call with Chayka and Sundin means, and what he actually needs next season to get back to his 60-goal self (0:45).We take a moment to wish Max Domi nothing but the best following his surgery news — and then have an honest conversation about what it means for his future with the team (28:45).From there we get into the coaching search, breaking down David Carle's candidacy and where things stand with the rest of the field (36:10). Then we shift our attention to the Marlies' playoff run and whether any player from that group can make the jump to the NHL (45:30).We close things out with a full roster breakdown, playing a game of 'Who stays, Who goes' (57:18).The pieces are moving. Let's get into it.

Berube is gone — and it wasn't even close.On this week's episode of The Leafs Lab Podcast, we start with a full breakdown of the Berube firing, why the case against him was overwhelming, and why so many Toronto-based insiders got it so wrong for so long. From there we get into what the firing tells us about Pelley, Rogers, and the direction of this new front office.Then it's on to the coaching search. We make the case against Bruce Cassidy, before diving deep into the two candidates we're most excited about: Manny Malhotra and Jay Woodcroft. We break down their backgrounds, their philosophies, and why either one could be exactly what this franchise needs heading into a new era.We then move onto a fun one — how many generational players has the NHL actually produced since 2005?We close things out with the Brandon Pridham firing, what it means for the front office structure going forward, and why Chase Glasberg could be the next big name to join the Leafs organization.Berube's out. The search is on. Let's get into it.

The draft lottery changed everything — and we have a lot to unpack.On this week's episode of The Leafs Lab Podcast, we kick things off with our reactions to the Leafs' lottery win and the moment the 12th ball dropped (0:45), before getting into who we'd actually take first overall if we were running this team (3:06). From there, we break down the McKenna vs. Stenberg vs. Reid debate (6:25), set realistic rookie expectations for McKenna (10:59), and map out exactly how he changes the Leafs' lineup next season (21:20).Then we shift to the elephant in the room — the Auston Matthews situation and what it all means for the future of this franchise (26:15). From there it's a deep dive into the offseason targets, including Darren Raddysh, Bowen Byram, Olen Zellweger, Barrett Hayton, and more (32:16).We close things out with Michael's long-anticipated Nikita Kucherov take (1:14:47), the Mitch Marner discourse (1:15:48), and predictions for the week ahead (1:21:35).The first overall pick is in hand. Now the real work begins.

In this week's episode of The Leafs Lab, we dive deep into Scott White's candidacy and why the Dallas Stars' AGM might be the safest and smartest pick MLSE can make (00:50). Then we discuss what a Mats Sundin role could actually look like — and where the line needs to be drawn (11:20).We get into the misdirection coming out of the organization, whether it's a red flag or a calculated move, and what a truly functioning front office actually looks like (15:55). From there, we break down the White vs. Chayka debate, two very different visions for this franchise, and what each one means for the future (22:45).Then it's time to sort through the roster. Who stays, who goes, and what do the Leafs actually need to look like on the other side of this summer (26:40). We also take a look around the playoffs and break down what the success of younger, faster teams should be telling the Leafs moving forward (51:00).We cap it off with a look at what separates the Canadiens from the Senators (1:03:35) and close with our hiring predictions for the week ahead (1:13:30).

In this week’s episode of The Leafs Lab, we break down one of the most chaotic weeks surrounding the organization—touching on everything from front office shakeups to AI’s growing influence on decision-making.We start with a deep dive into the Leafs’ GM search, comparing the candidacies of John Chayka (3:14) and Ryan Martin (23:05), with both emerging as some of the hottest names in the mix. From there, we shift to the bench, taking a hard look at Craig Berube’s failures this season (32:43)—examining the systemic issues, lack of adjustments, and the numbers that paint a concerning picture.To lighten things up, we head into “Fantasy Land” (41:40), throwing out creative trade ideas and exploring what bold, outside-the-box roster moves could look like.We then unpack the role of Keith Pelley and the growing influence of AI within the organization (52:10), separating fact from fiction and discussing how data and innovation could shape the Leafs’ future.Finally, we wrap up with a fun “Would You Rather: Leafs Edition” segment (1:00:00).

In the debut episode of The Leafs Lab, we introduce ourselves before taking a hard look at the most disappointing Leafs season in over a decade. Framed as a “love letter,” this episode blends frustration with honesty as we break down where things truly went wrong—from flawed systems and inconsistent execution to deeper structural issues behind the scenes.We dive deep into the shortcomings of Brad Treliving and Craig Berube, examining the roster decisions, coaching approach, and lack of identity that defined the season.