Marc Savard’s Firing Feels Like the First Crack in the Maple Leafs’ Foundation
Right now, it feels like the Toronto Maple Leafs have been quietly sliding downhill for weeks, all while insisting everything was under control. That illusion finally shattered after a brutal stretch of losses and one particularly telling moment from head coach Craig Berube. Following an ugly defeat, it was openly suggested that the opposing team simply wanted it more. The urgency and passion, it was said, weren’t there on Toronto’s side. That kind of comment tends to hang in the air, especially in this market, because once it’s out there, someone usually pays the price.
That someone turned out to be Marc Savard.
On Monday, the Leafs fired Savard, the assistant coach responsible for running a power play that has fallen to the bottom of the entire league. On paper, the move was explained as a response to performance. The power play has produced shockingly little, converting just a small fraction of its chances, and in a league built on fine margins, that kind of inefficiency gets noticed quickly. Officially, this was about fixing a broken system.
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But context matters, and this firing feels like much more than a simple hockey decision.
Savard didn’t operate in a vacuum. He worked under Berube, who oversees the coaching staff and sets the tone for accountability. So when Savard was let go, the question immediately became obvious: if he’s responsible for the power play, and the power play is failing, then who is ultimately responsible for him? The answer is uncomfortable, which is why this move feels less like a solution and more like a signal flare.
In Toronto, firings rarely calm things down. They tend to do the opposite. Management will likely step forward and express confidence in the roster, the coaching staff, and the direction of the team. Those words are familiar. They usually arrive right before everything unravels further. Coaches sense it, players sense it, and fans definitely sense it.
What makes this moment especially volatile is the message being sent. From management’s point of view, a warning has been issued: this isn’t working, and improvement is demanded. But inside the room, a different message is often received. A scapegoat has been chosen. Responsibility has been redirected. And once that happens, trust starts to erode.
Savard’s firing may seem minor on the surface, but in Toronto, small moves can trigger big reactions. Fans grow louder. Players grow more defensive. Coaches grow more exposed. This team was never built for a quiet decline. It was always headed toward one of two outcomes: total success or total combustion.
Right now, this feels like the spark. Not the explosion itself, but the first pebble rolling downhill, quietly at first, before it gathers speed and turns into something no one can stop.
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