The Toronto Maple Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade during the 2025-26 season. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was one of the few bright spots, providing notable play and production. The organization moved quickly to change course, with MLSE CEO Keith Pelley firing general manager Brad Treliving and replacing him with John Chayka and Mats Sundin. The team also fired head coach Craig Berube shortly after. The next priority is deciding which players to keep and which to move. Ekman-Larsson spoke about his time with the team at the IIHF World Hockey Championships, staying hopeful to remain in Toronto while acknowledging the difficulty of rumors and mid-season upheaval.
"“I think the whole situation became even more unique because we were expecting a baby just two weeks later. Obviously, it's tough when you enjoy being somewhere and want to stay somewhere, and then something like that comes up. But when a team is struggling and things aren't going the way they're expected to, changes usually happen. It's never fun. It was something new for me to go through in the middle of a season.” Ekman-Larsson said."
"“I've been bought out before, and I've been traded before. But this was different; I probably knew a little more than the outside world did. As I said, when you enjoy being somewhere and want to stay there, it's never fun when those rumours come up. Our whole family loves it there, and that's where we want to be. But it's not something you can walk around constantly thinking or speculating about. That's”"
Read at Editor In Leaf
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