The Toronto Maple Leafs may have no other option than to begin another rebuild, according to one reputable NHL Insider.

There’s been a lot of talk surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and their very obvious struggles this season. There are more questions than answers right now, and perhaps the most important question is, where do they go from here?

There have been calls from the fanbase and media for Craig Berube to be fired, and similarly, there have been suggestions tabled that the Leafs need to pull off a major trade as well. However, this week, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos has officially made his feelings on the subject known, and those feelings are that a rebuild or a retool is necessary.

During a segment on The Real Kyper & Bourne, Kypreos ran through all potential outcomes of a season as bad as this one has been for the Maple Leafs, revealing that he believes firing another coach will be letting these players off easy again. What he wants to see instead is a huge cultural shift through several significant moves.

Nick Kypreos says a rebuild could be just what the doctor ordered for the Maple Leafs

Justin Bourne had set the table for the discussion of first firing Craig Berube and bringing in Peter DeBoer to see if he can help this team before going full scorched Earth, but Kypreos scoffed at the idea. When asked by Bourne if he really wanted to trade guys like Matthews, Rielly, Tavares and Nylander, Kyper responded with this:

“Maybe. Maybe. Yes. Maybe… This is what you call a retool or a rebuild. This is what happens. It’s a cycle… and it just looks to me like it’s starting to run its course. You can sit there and hope that Peter DeBoer could come in here and Auston can light it up again, but do you really like those chances?”

This week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman told listeners on his 32 Thoughts podcast that if the Leafs keep going the way they’re going, there are going to be consequences. Could those consequences be a full-blown rebuild, or a retooling by trading an impact player?

Is another coach really the answer?

Constantly swapping coaches certainly does seem like it’s avoiding the real problem, which is that this core group of players has not been able to get the job done. Could bringing in another coach really be the answer? Or are we just grasping at straws to avoid starting over?

I know that you probably don’t win any trade for Auston Matthews or William Nylander. But what I do know is that with these players in Toronto, we still haven’t won anything, so the question then becomes, what are we really holding onto them for?

Kypreos might have some controversial ideas at times, but this one really is starting to feel like he might be on the right track with what needs to happen in order for this team to build a winner. Holding onto players until they’re eligible to walk as UFAs is not bringing back any assets, so instead of making the same mistakes over and over, maybe it’s time to change the formula.