Jack Roslovic has a real opening in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top six, but whether he keeps it will come down to production.
There’s already something there with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. Roslovic has shown chemistry with both, and his friendship with Matthews only adds another layer to why this line could have staying power. If the three keep clicking, Toronto may not have any reason to break them up just to shuffle the deck.
What Roslovic needs is not a superstar turn. He simply has to generate enough offense to prove he fits there and that the Maple Leafs are better with him on the line.
Michael Bunting is the cleanest comparison from a numbers standpoint. While playing with Matthews, Bunting put up 63 points one year and 49 the next.
If Roslovic can deliver something in that neighborhood, it would be viewed as a strong addition.
And if he does, he could hold that top-six role for a long stretch. Toronto wants scoring across the lineup, and a winger who can complement Matthews while bringing some chemistry to the group has real value.
But the Leafs also have options if the fit goes cold. If Roslovic isn’t producing or the line starts to sputter, he could drop to the third line and make room for someone else.
That could create a path for Gavin McKenna to move up to the top line, while Easton Cowan could slide onto the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. Cowan already has some chemistry with Tavares and Nylander from last season, which gives Toronto another combination it knows can work.
McKenna, meanwhile, would get a chance to step into a larger role. He’s one of the more intriguing young players to watch in Toronto this season, and if a top-six opening appears, there’s a good chance he gets a look.
Jim Hiller could also choose to try Roslovic on the second line, depending on how Cowan handles a third-line spot. That’s the benefit of the Maple Leafs’ top nine: there are enough options to adjust quickly if things start to look flat.
For now, Roslovic has the job. There’s no real reason to think he’s losing it before the puck drops on opening night. But if he produces and keeps building that connection with Matthews and Knies, that trio could end up sticking together for a while.
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Maple Leafs Face One Costly Marchenko Question
Kirill Marchenkos future in Columbus has suddenly become a topic of real interest around the league, and Toronto is among the clubs being mentioned as a possible landing spot. The Blue Jackets forward has publicly requested a trade, even while reporting to training camp, which has only added to the intrigue for teams looking for scoring help. For the Maple Leafs, it is the sort of situation that naturally invites debate, because Marchenkos talent would fit into a market that is always searching for more offense.
The harder part for Toronto is the price. Any serious pursuit would almost certainly force the Maple Leafs to weigh young pieces such as Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Harry Nansi, and Matthew Knies, the kind of names that make any trade conversation uncomfortable in a hurry. That is the tension now: Marchenko could give Toronto a useful boost, but only if the Leafs are willing to pay a cost that changes the calculus of what kind of deal makes sense for the present and the future. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Have A Chance To Create A Family Story Fans Will Love
The Rangers are putting Taylor Raddysh on waivers, and that gives the Maple Leafs a small but intriguing opening as roster decisions start to come into focus. Toronto has not made a waiver claim yet this offseason, but with those calls approaching, this is the kind of low-risk move teams around the league have to weigh carefully.
For the Leafs, the appeal goes beyond the depth chart. Taylor is the brother of Toronto player Darren Raddysh, which means a claim would create a family tie that fans would instantly latch onto. It is the sort of feel-good angle that can make a mundane transaction a little more interesting, even if the final decision still comes down to how the Leafs want to handle the rest of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Former Leafs Just Landed In A Spot Toronto Can't Really Use
Several former Maple Leafs are among the names who surfaced on waivers as NHL clubs move to finalize their rosters ahead of the 2026-27 season deadline, a familiar point in the calendar when depth pieces start bouncing around the league. Steven Lorentz, Philippe Myers, Calle Rosen, Ilya Samsonov, Sam Lafferty, Henry Thrun and Sammy Blais are all in that group, giving teams 24 hours to decide whether they want to make a claim before those players are sent to their AHL affiliates.
For Toronto, the timing makes the whole thing more interesting but not especially practical. The Maple Leafs have limited roster and cap space after their recent signings, which means even a player with a familiar face or a useful fit has to clear more than just a quick look from the hockey ops staff. It is the kind of waiver window that can create a lot of noise around former Leafs, even when the path back to Toronto is harder than it looks. [Read more 🡒]