Report: Matthews, Nylander made specific demands during Maple Leafs' exit interviews

The Toronto Maple Leafs heard from their two superstars in their exit interviews, and it's obvious, William Nylander and Auston Matthews want change.

Both players met with the coaching staff and whoever is left of their management team at their exit interviews before cleaning out their lockers, and the messaging was the very same from both stars. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Matthews and Nylander mentioned they both feel this roster needs an overhaul, and the team needs more bite up front, and two puck-moving defenceman on the back end.

What I was told by people I trust there, is that both of those guys, Nylander and Matthews, told both management and coaching that look, we believe in this team, but we think we have to add some players, We need a couple of dogs up front with some bite, who can eliminate the softness we have in certain areas up front, and we need two mobile defencemen.

The Maple Leafs defense core was among the worst in the league this season in a variety of categories, and if you look ahead to next season, there's only three that are for sure coming back next season and that's Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe.

Morgan Rielly was a mess this season and it's time for him to be moved. The longest tenured Maple Leaf needs a change of scenery, and while Rielly is 100% out it seems, it's very likely Simon Benoit, Troy Stecher, and Brandon Carlo are likely being moved this summer, or in Stecher's case, left unsigned after July 1.

Up front, expect to see the team move on from RFA's Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson, as Nylander and Matthews want some more jam up front and will be looking to add more size than the two undersized wingers, who were both very inconsistent this season.

Can Mats Sundin and John Chayka keep the Maple Leafs superstars happy? It sounds like we'll get to find out very soon.

Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images