Toronto Maple Leafs fire wrong coach in an attempt to save their train-wreck season

We are nearly halfway through the 2025-26 season, and you might be surprised to see who is sitting in the basement of the Atlantic Division. No, it's not the Boston Bruins who occupied that spot at the end of last season. And no, it's not the Buffalo Sabres who have spent nearly the entire season down there. Heck, they're playing so well, and the Bruins are floundering enough that Buffalo might pass them soon enough.

Sitting in the basement of the Atlantic Division is none other than the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, there is still time for them to rebound and turn things around this season. However, with Boston holding their first-round draft pick in 2026, which is Top 5 protected after March's trade that sent Brandon Carlo there, it's worth monitoring to see how things finish out for the Leafs.

Heck, they could pass the Bruins at some point. It won't take much in the compacted Eastern Conference standings to make a move at some point. There has been a lot of chatter surrounding head coach Craig Berube and his job security in Toronto. There was some thought that a move might be coming. A move was made on Monday, but it was a former Boston Bruin who got let go.

Maple Leafs fire assistant coach Marc Savard

In an attempt to shake things up, Toronto fired former Bruins forward Marc Savard on Monday. He led the Maple Leafs' power play, which is currently ranked dead last in the NHL at just 13.3%. They have just 12 man-advantage goals in 35 games, which is the worst in the NHL.

Firing Savard is surprising. However, what it does is it extends Berube's tenure in Toronto, for now. He made some comments after a recent game where it sounded like his time was coming to an end. Instead, the organization decided it was best to start with Savard in what seems like a non-motivating move. The problem this year wasn't Savard. Sure, the power play isn't producing, but Toronto has bigger problems than its power play right now.

Firing Savard is certainly a decision. Based on Berube's comments and his team's play that he has all but lost the locker room. Instead of shaking things up, the front office took the easy way out and fired someone who isn't going to give the team the shake-up they are looking for. The team's response on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins will tell a lot.