The Toronto Maple Leafs have dismissed assistant coach Marc Savard amid a dismal power-play performance that has plagued the team this season. General manager Brad Treliving announced the move on Monday following a three-game road trip where the Leafs went 0-for-10 on the man advantage. Treliving affirmed support for head coach Craig Berube while indicating internal adjustments to address the issues.
The Toronto Maple Leafs sit last in the Eastern Conference with a 15-15-5 record and 35 points after 35 games, marking a sharp decline from last season's Atlantic Division title and nine straight playoff appearances. The team's struggles intensified during a recent 0-3 road trip, where they were outscored 14-4 in losses to the Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, and a 1-5 defeat to the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Central to these woes has been the power play, which ranks dead last in the NHL at 13.3 percent efficiency, including a net rating of 8.9 percent after outscoring opponents just 12-4 over 90 opportunities. The unit has allowed four shorthanded goals this season.
Savard, 48, was hired on June 23, 2024, shortly after Berube's arrival, to oversee the power play. Despite deploying high-priced talent like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares, the group has faltered without Mitch Marner, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1 and had led Toronto with 33 power-play points last year. Experiments included Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the point, rookie Easton Cowan on the top unit, and a two-balanced-unit approach debuted without practice rehearsal. Captain Auston Matthews noted post-Dallas, “There’s a couple good looks. I think you’d like it to flow a little bit. That’s obviously a big part of the game, and the part of the game that — in games like this, that are tight — you want to capitalize on.”
Berube explained the lack of practice for the new setup: “Just because I didn’t want to, that’s all. I just didn't want to get there. I wanted to do work on other things, and I didn’t want to be out there very long.” Treliving, addressing speculation, stated Tuesday, “I want to make it clear, I support Craig fully. One of the narratives coming out was there is a disconnect between the coach and I. There isn't a disconnect. We all have to be better.” He emphasized the power play's impact: “I don't want to just single out the power play, but it's been an area that to me, has cost us points in the standings.”
No external replacement for Savard is planned immediately; assistant Derek Lalonde will lead the power play internally, though future hires remain possible. Despite trailing the New Jersey Devils by six points for the East's second wild card—with a game in hand—the Leafs must pass eight teams to reach the playoffs. Treliving added, “I don't think we're turning the page right now on the season,” signaling a commitment to collective fixes amid fan frustration.
