Auston Matthews didn’t waste any time making it clear how he feels about Sergei Bobrovsky joining the Maple Leafs.
“Having Bob, It’s an absolute treat, I’m not gonna lie. I was so excited when we signed him, and just to be around him.”
Matthews said the buzz around the veteran goalie was impossible to miss, and the reality has lived up to it so far. “I mean, the stories, the hype around him and just the professional that he is and how he looks after himself, just his focus, it’s extremely impressive. And I couldn’t be happier to have him on our side.”
The two were on the ice together in preseason action on Saturday, with Matthews making his first appearance since knee surgery. He finished with 1 assist, 6 shots, 12 attempts, won 63% of his faceoffs, and logged 25:45 of ice time.
Bobrovsky arrives in Toronto with plenty of hardware and plenty of mileage. He signed with the Maple Leafs this offseason after helping Florida win consecutive Stanley Cup titles, even though the Panthers missed the playoffs last season. Florida chose not to match Bobrovsky’s contract demands, and Toronto stepped in as new general manager John Chayka overhauled the crease.
Matthews was said to want to wait and see how the Leafs handled their offseason changes, and in his first media availability at training camp, he sounded encouraged. Bobrovsky, in particular, seems to have made a strong early impression.
With camp now rolling, Bobrovsky is expected to open as Toronto’s No. 1 goaltender, with Anthony Stolarz - his former partner in Florida - backing him up. Toronto is hoping that duo can rediscover the same chemistry they had in Florida, while Bobrovsky is aiming for a bounce-back after a disappointing 2025-26 season.
In Other News...
Matthews Gave Leafs Fans One Reason To Exhale In Montreal
Auston Matthews gave Maple Leafs fans something to track in an otherwise rough split-squad preseason night in Montreal, where Toronto dropped both games and had to settle for smaller victories in the individual performances. Matthews looked closer to his usual self with noticeable speed and an assist, while Darren Raddysh provided the clubs lone goal and rookie Gavin McKenna flashed the sort of playmaking that can stand out even in a preseason setting.
For a Leafs team still sorting through early impressions, the point was less about the results than the signs underneath them. Matthews pace was the biggest takeaway, and McKennas creativity offered another encouraging note, even with a penalty mixed in. It was the kind of evaluative night that leaves the standings untouched but gives the coaching staff and the fan base a little more to chew on. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fringe Forward Made An Early Statement In Montreal
Michael Pezzetta wasted little time making his presence felt in Montreal while skating with the Maple Leafs B-team. In a game featuring fringe players and prospects because Torontos main roster was elsewhere, Pezzetta dropped the gloves with Canadiens player Lucas Condotta and was ejected afterward, a flashpoint that fit the tone of a matchup built more on auditions and edge than star power.
The scuffling did not stop there, either. Shortly after Pezzettas fight, teammate Teddy Blueger also got into one in the same game, adding another layer of nastiness to a night that already had a distinctly old-school feel. For Leafs players trying to leave a mark with limited opportunities, these are the kinds of moments that can matter just as much as any shift in the offensive zone. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Hiller Saw Promise In The Leafs But One Clear Problem Too
After the Maple Leafs preseason loss to the Canadiens, Jim Hiller came away seeing both the kind of early signs a coach wants and the kind of issues that tend to linger if they are not cleaned up quickly. He pointed to Gavin McKennas good start and liked what he saw from Auston Matthews, especially his skating and the way he carried an offensive threat, which at least gave Toronto some encouraging takeaways from a game that did not go its way.
Still, Hiller sounded just as focused on the gaps as the positives, especially the teams skating without the puck, an area that can quietly decide preseason games and, later, more meaningful ones. He also addressed Sergei Bobrovskys playing-time management, another reminder that these exhibition games are about more than the final score as the Leafs sort through how their pieces fit and what needs sharpening before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]