Anthony Stolarz demands Maple Leafs ‘play like ba****ds’ next season

The Toronto Maple Leafs have started their offseason after a dismal 2025-26 season. They have already fired general manager Brad Treliving and are headed into a summer that should be full of changes. Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz spoke to the media on locker cleanout day and gave next year’s team an ultimatum. 

“We have to play like bastards. We have to play hard, and we have to play heavy,” Stolarz said, per TSN’s Chris Johnston.

The Maple Leafs had iconic NHL enforcer Craig Berube as their head coach this season, but did not play with the snarl fans were looking for. No moment explains that more than the hit that ended Auston Matthews’ season. A knee-on-knee collision from Radko Gudas had their captain on the ice, and no one jumped to fight the Anaheim Ducks defenseman.

Stolarz regressed significantly in his second season with the Maple Leafs. He posted a .893 save percentage in 26 games, far worse than his league-leading .926 mark in 34 games a season ago. The goaltending needs to improve for the Maple Leafs to return to the playoffs next year. But physicality is something that everyone says would help as well. What happens next all starts with the new general manager.

The Maple Leafs have a big offseason ahead of them

The second that Matthews’ season ended, conversations started about a potential trade of the captain. If the Maple Leafs were headed into a rebuild, why not trade away one of the league’s most valuable assets? Once again, that will depend on who the general manager is and how deep they want to take this rebuild.

The Maple Leafs could also make a coaching change this offseason, even though Berube is in just his second year. This year was such a disaster that any change is possible. Berube is a Stanley Cup Champion from his run with the 2019 St Louis Blues, but he has not rekindled that magic since.

There has not been as much discussion about the Maple Leafs making goalie changes this offseason. Stolarz and Joseph Woll had their struggles this year, but are under reasonable contracts for next year. If there is a big-time goaltending change coming in Toronto, that likely won’t happen until the 2027 offseason.

The next big news out of Toronto is the hiring of their next general manager. What that person decides to do with Matthews, Berube, and many other key players will determine how mean the team can be in 2026-27.

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