The underperforming Toronto Maple Leafs fired assistant coach Marc Savard on Monday, the club announced in a statement.
It's the first domino to fall for a Toronto team that is second to last in the Eastern Conference -- and in the basement of the Atlantic Division -- after losing four of their last five games. The Maple Leafs dropped a back-to-back games over the weekend.
Savard's duties was running Toronto's power play, which currently ranks worst in the league at 13.3%. The Maple Leafs have recorded the same number of power play goals (2-for-27) as they've given up shorthanded goals (2) through 10 games in December.
The former NHL forward, who played for four teams over the course of a 13-year career, came on board in Toronto when the club hired coach Craig Berube in March 2024. Berube previously had Savard on his staff in St. Louis for the 2019-20 season. Savard stepped away from hockey in September 2020 to spend more time with family. He didn't return behind a bench until Berube's appointment in Toronto.
It wasn't immediately clear on Monday whether the Maple Leafs would bring in someone to replace Savard or continue with in-house personnel only.
Regardless, it's now on Berube and his remaining coaches to figure out -- and fix -- what's ailing the Maple Leafs. Toronto has high-octane forward talent, including three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares. But they trio has not delivered after a summer in which the team dealt forward Mitch Marner.
Nylander hasn't scored in 11 games, Matthews has just 14 goals the entire season, and Tavares has two goals in his last 14 contests. Toronto's offense ranks 12th in the league, and its defense is allowing the seventh-most goals against.
Toronto faces the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday in its final game before the league's holiday break.