Elliotte Friedman raised concerns about several Canadian teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, performance in the 2025-26 season. Speaking during Monday’s episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, he said the situation has reached a point where “panic is real” in some markets. Friedman pointed to the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Toronto Maple Leafs as the teams facing the hardest questions. He noted their low positions in the league standings. Then he mentioned Winnipeg, Edmonton, Montreal, and Ottawa as the teams with better hopes. “So I am taking a page from David Amber’s book of panic, and this podcast is titled, ‘Whoa, Canada.'” Friedman said. [1: 40 onwards] “Vancouver, 30th; Calgary, 31st; Toronto, 28th; and Winnipeg lost two in a row, as you mentioned. Hello, Buck out now. Maybe Edmonton’s season started to turn around. I think Montreal will be fine. I think Ottawa is obviously fine.” Winnipeg has performed well early in the season, but is struggling due to injury to goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who is going to have minor arthroscopic knee surgery. Edmonton has had defensive issues and goaltending problems, and Montreal is facing difficulty due to several injured players. Ottawa has performed well recently, winning five out of its last seven games, and its captain, Brady Tkachuk, is also about to return from injury. Friedman said Ottawa is the only Canadian team he views as safe from concern right now. “Ottawa is carrying the Canadian flag,” Friedman said. “That’s why they watch them off the top. They are exempt from the woe. They are exempt from the woe. They are truly the Canadian capital right now, not only geographically, but hockey-wise. They are carrying the flag. But the panic is real in many of these other markets.” So, the main focus remains on the struggling teams at the bottom. Maple Leafs and other Canadian teams’ start this season The Flames sit near the bottom with an 8-13-3 record. They have scored 59 goals and allowed 73, giving them a -14 goal difference. Vancouver has also slipped badly with a 9-12-2 record and a -15 goal difference. Toronto holds a 10-11-2 record but has won only once in its last eight games. These numbers show how each team has failed to gain good momentum. Winnipeg has been more competitive but has dropped two straight games. The Jets hold a 12-9-0 record with a +8 goal difference. Montreal sits at 11-7-3 and has shown more stability. Ottawa owns a strong 11-6-4 record and remains the best-performing Canadian team so far. However, there are 11 American teams placed above Ottawa, which is a concern for Canada’s Stanley Cup hopes.
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