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Button on the Maple Leafs' roster future, Pelley's impact and McDavid's stance in Edmonton
23 Mar 2026
Chapter 1: What insights does Craig Button offer on the Maple Leafs' future?
Here's our TSN director of scouting, Craig Button, joining us on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Craig, where do you stand on the perceived disconnect, the coach, the room, how Craig Berube maybe handles this down the stretch?
Well, first, before I get to any of that, I'm tipping my cap. I'm tipping my cap to Jeff O'Neill. Because the way he's dressed today, that's got to be a tribute to Chuck Norris.
Yes. I dare you to knock it off. Exactly.
Got the same tanning bed and everything.
See his smile?
well done mr o'neill well and you look fabulous jeff i know you had a well-deserved little uh respite you look great so where does it come here's what happens when your team is garbage and i'm talking about on the standings and you know i'm not talking about his people i'm talking your team's struggle right like tell me what team that's been really bad like functions well Like, tell me.
No, you're right. It doesn't happen.
You talk about a rookie, like what rookie gets to have a say, right? Well, tell me what bad team has ever functioned well.
Yeah, it doesn't happen.
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Chapter 2: How does Keith Pelley influence the Maple Leafs' organizational decisions?
So you're sitting there waiting for the shoe to drop. And how that shoe drops, that's where Craig Bruby's at. That's where Brad Trevelyan is at. And if it comes with, hey, no, we're going to have you guys do it. Tell us what you want to do. But at the end of it all, there's just so much uncertainty surrounding this team starting at the top.
Well, that's where I was going to go, Craig. Everyone seems to think, okay, it's foregone conclusion, X, Y, and Z is going to happen. But I think what you need to do is obviously, and it's been a slow, painful death here. We were talking about it like, you know, I can understand it's the last five or six games or whatever, stuff like that. But it's been a lot longer.
And now you're hammering right to the end of the season. But you have to figure out what's going to happen at the end of the season, whether new president, new manager, new coach. As you mentioned, players that are either putting their hand up or not putting their hand up, expiring contracts. That's why I don't think it's just... Decision X has to happen and that's going to fix everything.
To me, you've got to figure out how this is all going to fit together. And you do have, unfortunately, the luxury of some time at the end of the season because you're not going to be playing. So you can take a month to do a forensic audit of what is the plan moving forward. Because, again, we're talking whether it's Craig Berube just thinks he's going to get fired.
What if the team changes and the team... Moving forward is a younger team that works hard and straight line. Maybe Craig Berube is the coach for that type of that type of team that they're going to build. So I don't think anything's a foregone conclusion until you have the answers of anything moving forward. Like, what would you start with? What do you make of now? It's a long question.
Apologize. But what would you start with? Like, where do you think you would go?
No, it's not a long question, Jamie. I mean, you're laying out the scenario. For me, it's real simple. It starts with Keith Pelley. Like, what, Keith Pelley needs a month at the end of the regular season to do a forensic audit? Like, that would only happen if he's been living in Spain and not doing a bloody thing watching the Toronto Maple Leafs this year.
Keith Pelley's done the forensic audit, and he knows exactly what's going on. So to me, like, season ends... it's incumbent upon Keith Pelley to right then and there, whatever the day after the season ends, to establish what the future is going to look like. That's where it starts and ends.
But nothing can continue past that point until he declares what the future is going to look like with the people. Nothing else, not the players, not the contracts. Until he comes in and says, this is what the future is going to look like, nothing else can happen. We can speculate. We can talk about what should happen, what could go first. He's the one.
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Chapter 3: What is Connor McDavid's perspective on the Oilers' current situation?
Craig, how much confidence do you have? I think he's a really smart guy. His track record and positions around the globe have established that. But how much confidence do you have that he understands the dynamics of a hockey organization when he's never been a part of one?
Yes, he's been around the game and the television side and behind the scenes, but how does he know what to do and what to pull the trigger on as far as what this organization is and what it needs?
Well, that's what he should be doing now. That's what he should have been. The work he should be doing now is talking to people that know more than him, that understand, okay, here's what you should be looking at, guiding him. I mean, you talk about smart people. Smart people don't have all the answers, but smart people know where to go and look for the answers.
And so I think Keith is a smart guy, and there's lots of resources there. He's got lots of resources that he can turn to. I'm talking within the league, right? He can talk to people. Keith's got lots of contacts in the sporting world. And I don't think Keith is going to try to come out and try to portray himself as, oh, I'm Lou Lamarillo here. I know what to do.
Or even from that point of view, Tim Laiwiki, who had been part of running a sports organization before he came to Toronto. I think that Keith is intelligent and will look to others to help guide him for such an important decision.
With Craig Button. So, Craig, we play a game called Role Play Level of Concern on this show. I'm sure you're aware of it. I think you've played it with us before. I'm going to ask you to play the role of Connor McDavid. You're playing the role of Connor McDavid. What is your level of concern in terms of what's happening in Edmonton right now?
Well, I think the level of concern is probably 11 out of 10. Because he's wired to win. He's wired to win. And I think, listen, I mean, we all know in sports, and we talk about it, we bring it back to Toronto. The players know what they're dealing with in Toronto. The players know what they're dealing with in Edmonton. And the top players... And a player, Connor, now, he's been through it.
He's seen, okay, this is what we can do when we're functioning at our best. This is what our team looks like. He's seen a lot of good players leave the Edmonton Oilers. And I think that Connor knows that two years ago their team was pretty bloody good.
He knows last year probably a lot of things went right, and certainly when you have 97 and 29 carrying it, he looks at the team and goes, this team isn't very good. Starting in goal, starting on the blue line, starting with the depth of the forwards. And that's not on Connor and that's not on the coach.
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Chapter 4: How do bad teams maintain functionality in sports?
He's going to try. You know he's going to show up. You know he's going to be great in the playoffs. I fully expect that. I just don't know if Drysaddle is even going to be available to play with him. And that's one more hit. Like if Drysaddle can't go, like this team is already depleted based on the previous two years. You take 29 off that roster.
I guess the question I'm getting to is, do they scare anybody? Those two alone scared anyone they would play. Florida included, even though Florida beat them. Does Edmonton scare Vegas, Anaheim, Utah? Do they scare anybody in the playoffs?
Well, the Pacific Division, they do. I don't think Vegas or Anaheim... And don't think Edmonton making the playoffs is a foregone conclusion. Because Nashville's right on their heels. I'm talking about in terms of wild card and everything. Do I think they'll fall out? It'd be really difficult for them to fall out, right? But in the Pacific Division, Brian, Jamie, and Jeff...
I mean, he called it a pillow fight. I mean, so... And when they play, hey, listen, we've seen them play some really good games, and we've seen them do it. So when you have 97 and 29, can you do it? Yeah, you can do it. Yes, there's no question that you can find a way to do it. But all that being said, you start to look at those two guys.
They've shown it time and time again that given an opening, and sometimes it might be a slight opening like this year, But I don't know how you can bet against them based on the division, based on the division they are in. And what I would say for the Edmonton Oilers is their best spot is to stay in the division. Do not become a wildcard team.
Right. Yeah, you move over to the Central. That is a completely different situation.
Let me ask you guys this, though. Or finishing first.
Or finishing first.
You want to play Utah if you're Edmonton? I don't think finishing first is in their best interest. Get healthy, try to find a game, dry settle healthy. Two or three is where I'd want to be if I was Edmonton, if I was trying to handicap it.
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Chapter 5: What strategies can the Maple Leafs adopt to improve their performance?
I think you and I were on the show last week or maybe it was the week before saying, like, if Austin Matthews wants to be a part of the organization moving forward, he will decide, right, like with his contract status and all of that. Like, to me, at some point, you create a culture, you create the organization. These players have given a lot of years and commitment to their organization.
I'm saying all these star players. But at some point, you see organizations bending over backwards, doing all these things, afraid to lose these players. At some point, they're going to move on, whether they just get old or age out or whatever. You've got to build something where you're not afraid to lose these players, and you're catering to, like, oh, this guy's coach or this guy's best friend.
With the timeline, too, right? Got to trade this pick. Got to trade that pick because we've got to win right now.
At some point, don't you just say, you play, we'll take care of this, you worry about this. To me, sometimes I feel like, again, there's just too much control given to some of these players where it's like you're so worried about it instead of just going, you go play and worry about yourself and we'll worry about putting players around you or putting a situation around you. Exactly.
That's the only one thing I say. It's Knobloch. Knobloch's on the hot seat. He coached him to the finals the last couple of years. If Edmonton really wants to change things, you know who I'd bring in? Daryl Sutter. The problem is that Daryl Sutter probably might hurt somebody's feelings
And you'd have a problem with something because, like, Daryl will say or do something, but he knows how to win. That guy's a winner. Like, that's the one thing. Like, you want to get crazy. That's what you do. You do something like that.
They're not doing it now, but I hear what you're saying. Where do you stand on that, Craig? Like, the power of players and wielding that power.
Well, the players have power, and there's nothing wrong with them having power. And, like, understanding that, you know, you have good players and they're part of the organization, you ask a lot of them, but at the same time, they want to know that they have a chance to win.
I'll get to the Daryl Sutter thing in a minute, too, but, like, you know, Jamie, you were in Calgary, and, you know, our coach had done a lot of good work in Calgary, and, you know, I ended up being able to come in there and whatever, but...
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Chapter 6: How does team structure affect coaching decisions in hockey?
It's about partnering in a way that says, hey, you can count on me to help you have success, and I'm going to count on you to dig in and be part of it. As it relates to Daryl Sutter, and I thought that's really interesting, Jamie, because in L.A. when he took over in 2012, Terry Murray was the coach, and Terry Murray was a damn good coach.
And Dean Lombardi told me, he said, we had a structure in place defensively and we had a team and we needed a little bit something different. We need a little bit more of a direct approach, a direct push. That's what Darryl brings. Darryl's knowledge of the game is outstanding. He's an outstanding coach, Hall of Famer in my view in every regard. But...
You can say we're going to let go of the coach. It's always who are you bringing in to replace them? And I would hate to hear what anybody says about Chris Knobloch and Edmonton if they had only got to the second round or the third round the last two years. This is the guy that got into the finals.
Two years in a row.
Two years in a row.
Nobody had a problem with him last year or the year before when they were in the finals. But right now, like you said, Brian brought up a great point. When people are on edge, you're just looking for things. You're looking for, and they're certainly on edge in Edmonton. At least they're in the playoffs.
That's the crazy thing. They have the luxury of at least making the playoffs, or it seems like that's going to be the case. I would argue the GM is taking as many hits or close to it, too. Like Stan Bowman. Like the Tristan Jari thing has just exploded.
They're lucky they have Ingram.
Exactly. Craig, I'll get you out of here on a question that is going to be asked a lot over the next four or five weeks, and that's the heart pursuit. Kucharov versus the field. Which one are you taking?
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Chapter 7: What factors contribute to the dynamics of a hockey organization?
Did you guys ever hear the funny story with his dad, Todd? Todd, a wonderful guy. I told Shannon Hogan the other day who hosts the Islanders show, but last year, and you all know this, okay? So Matthew and his dad, Todd, were in the studio with James doing a pre-draft show, and Steve Dryden was grilling Matthew, on the questions he was getting at the combine.
Now, you can only picture Steve, right, asking him all the questions. He's not worried over Barry. Well, I mean, he was drilling them, right? So Matthew's polite and everything. And finally, Todd says to Steve and a couple of us are standing there. He goes, you know what I don't understand? He goes, not one person ever asked Matthew how his eyesight was.
Because wouldn't you want to know how he didn't see the goalpost and run it into it?
That's a great one at the World Juniors.
It is great. Yeah, he's on fire.
Apparently his dad is just a beauty. Duffy was telling us some stories. Oh, yeah, he is. Awesome. Well, he's down there a lot, and he'll be there hopefully in the playoffs if the Islanders can hold on. They're in a wild card spot right now. All right, thanks, Craig. We'll do it again soon. Okay, thanks, you guys.
There he is, Craig Button, TSN Director of Scouting, joining us from the Maple Toyota Hotline. Red Tag Days are here with the all-electric Toyota BZ. It goes from 0 to 100 in just 5.1 seconds and charges from 10 to 80% in just 30 minutes. Dropped by Maple Toyota today.
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