General manager John Chayka has been busy during his first offseason with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has not been shy about making moves to turn around the team's fortunes after a miserable 2025-26 that saw Toronto miss the NHL playoffs.
While many NHL observers have offered positive reviews of the Leafs' changes, recently, NHL Network Radio host and former Toronto GM Gord Stellick warned fans to temper their expectations for their new-look club. Now, another long-standing Toronto media member and former Maple Leafs player, Jeff O'Neill, has advised caution about the team's moves.
During a recent appearance on TSN's OverDrive with host Bryan Hayes and guest host Jonas Siegel, O'Neill shared his observations of the Leafs' offseason.
Why Massive Roster Overhaul Guarantees Nothing For Toronto
Instead of being in his regular co-host chair, O'Neill was a call-in guest and was asked which Maple Leafs player he would like to hear from most when the team returns to start the new season. Without hesitation, he replied, "Auston Matthews."
The former Leaf winger wanted to know where Matthews is at physically. Then, he made an interesting observation. Using the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid as an example, O'Neill suggested that after star players have been in the same place for a while without winning a Stanley Cup, they become "grumpy" and "impatient," wanting to win.
He described those types of players as becoming "grizzled," and that after a while the grind of the NHL wears on them and players are "not in a great mood." O'Neill questioned, "I wonder about these guys that have been around this team (Leafs) for so long."
O'Neill pondered if Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, and John Tavares would show up to training camp with a chip on their shoulder. Then, answered his own question by saying they wouldn't because "it's just not really in their personality." He wondered if they would arrive at camp with some anger or the same vibe as their numerous past seasons together, sharing their love for one another and giving professional answers. Both Hayes and O'Neill agreed it would be a nice change if some of the Leafs' key players showed up with a fiestier disposition.
Noting the long-time Maple Leafs core of the aforementioned four players, Hayes questioned, "Has there been enough change to make this feel different in terms of projecting next season?" Then he listed the changes of Chayka, Jim Hiller, Darren Raddysh, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Gavin McKenna and wondered if a clean slate was possible with still so many players connected to the team's recent past.
Citing the changes, O'Neill said, "I think it's a complete roll of the dice." He commented that he liked that Chayka realized changes were needed, and some players had to go elsewhere because the team just wasn't good enough. "They had to kind of flush things out, get some different faces on there."
O'Neill then revisited a previous discussion for a prior show, the cautionary tale of the Vancouver Canucks. He noted the similarities between Canucks with star player Quinn Hughes and the Leafs with Matthews. He stated the Canucks signed a bunch of players to appease Hughes, who was traded after saying he wouldn't re-sign in Vancouver.
He described the Maple Leafs as trying to impress Matthews while winning over the next two years. "They (Leafs) brought in a bunch of different faces, but it just doesn't automatically work." He mentioned that a lot of things have to fall into place between the new guys and the old guys. O'Neill wondered how quickly the Leafs can get it together to become a team.
"It's, honestly, it's a coin flip. Like, it could be outstanding, and it could just fall flat." O'Neill observed that it is the chance you take when a major overhaul is done on the fly with new personnel and a lack of familiarity. He finished by stressing how important the first 20 games of the season are for a team, and the challenge of falling behind in the standings.
"It is, honestly, it is a coin flip. Like, it could be outstanding and it could just fall flat."Jeff O'Neill on the Leafs' changes
He described the Maple Leafs as having a lot of question marks that have to work out for things to fall into place. O'Neill finished by saying he liked that the Leafs were willing to get different players and make changes.
While Chayka's roster changes look promising on paper, O'Neill provides a sobering reminder that summer headlines to not guarantee success. As the new-look squad takes the ice, only time will tell if management's moves will pay off or if fans will be left wishing the coin had landed on the other side.
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