Two Maple Leafs Hit Rock Bottom as Trade Talk Heats Up

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t bring in Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli last summer expecting miracles, but they certainly expected something. Instead, the Leafs have burned two mid-round draft picks, almost $7 million in cap space, and half a season waiting for a spark that simply hasn’t come. As Jeff O’Neill bluntly put it this week, “Joshua and Maccelli have done jack squat for this hockey team since coming here.”

He’s not wrong. And inside the organization, the frustration is starting to hit a boiling point.

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Maccelli’s Fit Has Gone Sideways

Maccelli was supposed to inject skill into Toronto’s middle six, but what’s unfolded looks like a complete mismatch with what Craig Berube demands. The coach wants pace, pressure, and hard checking — three areas where Maccelli has struggled badly. Despite the occasional point, the overall impact just isn’t there.

He knows it, too. “It’s just trying to play my own game, but at the same time trying to play smart and not have too many turnovers,” he admitted. Berube’s message has been even simpler: win your battles, be harder on pucks, and stop gifting the opposition transition chances.

The issue? Maccelli’s style doesn’t naturally align with a Berube-style game. He isn’t big, he isn’t fast, and he hasn’t been able to adjust. Bryan Hayes and the rest of the TSN OverDrive crew turned the forward into a verb when they suggested he can’t keep trying to “Maccelli this thing.” In other words, if he won’t bring a different component, he’s in big trouble.

Toronto thought they could carve out a spot for a finesse winger in Berube’s system. So far, they were wrong.

Joshua Looks the Part, But That’s About It

If Maccelli’s problem is style, Joshua’s problem is pace, says Nick Kypreos. At 6’3” and nearly 210 pounds, he should be everything a Berube system thrives on. Instead, he’s been invisible — slow to pucks, late on forechecks, and a non-factor in creating chaos down low. As a few analysts have noted, Joshua rarely makes glaring mistakes, but he also seldom does anything to tilt the ice.

With just five points in 22 games and some of the worst defensive results on the roster, Joshua has fallen well short of expectations. He has acknowledged, “There’s no time to be the new guy anymore.”

Trade Talk Becoming Hard to Ignore

Neither player is unfixable, but time and patience is not something the Maple Leafs necessarily have. Despite picking up an overtime win over Columbus on Wednesday, they aren’t playing well as a team. Too many players aren’t bringing anything, and both were healthy scratches.

Toronto needs impact, not passengers. If this trend continues, both Joshua and Maccelli may find themselves exactly where underperforming players usually end up: on the trade board, and sooner rather than later.

Next: Oilers and Penguins Trade Buzz Heats Up After Kevin Weekes’ Report