Game 7 of the Leafs’ season comes Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. EST in Salt Lake City, and the biggest storyline still hanging over this roster is the same one that’s been there from the start: who ends up where, and for how long?
Through six games, a few things have already popped. McKenna keeps standing out.
Matthews and Nylander have continued to click. Easton Cowan is still forcing his way toward a full-time top-six spot.
And when John Tavares missed Saturday’s game against Colorado, Leafs fans got their first real look at McKenna running with the top power-play group. The result matched the buzz.
The bigger picture is that just about everything with this lineup seems fluid right now. Jim Hiller has been moving pieces around constantly, and not in a small way. Every version of the Leafs’ forward combinations feels possible at this stage, which suggests either a search for the right spark or a coach intent on keeping everyone guessing.
At Saturday’s skate, the group looked like this:
Marchenko - Matthews - Roslovic
Cowan - Tavares - Nylander
McKenna - Paul - Sissons
Duhaime - Blueger - Groulx
Wood
McCabe - Raddysh
Rielly - Stecher
Ekman-Larsson - Blankenburg
Rifai - MacEwen
Stolarz starts
Bobrovsky @TSN_Sports
- Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 13, 2026
All of that line shuffling raises a simple question: does it matter that much who a player is lined up with night after night?
Back in 2021, former Leafs coach Paul Maurice talked about the importance of finding Pierre-Luc Dubois the right fit beside him, arguing that a player’s game changes depending on the people around him. Maurice said, "That's what the hope is - that we can develop all parts of his game, and a big part of that is who you play with. Who you play with affects how the game is played, and it brings out different nuances in each player's game."
That idea sits right in the middle of what the Leafs are doing now. Maybe Hiller’s constant mixing and matching is the best way to handle a roster that’s been overhauled.
Maybe it’s a way to keep players sharp and create urgency every time they hop over the boards. After all, they’re pros.
They should be able to make it work.
But Maurice’s view still has weight: in a team sport, the little things that help players mesh aren’t optional. They’re part of how a group becomes more than a pile of talent.
There have already been some big highs and a few worrying dips in these first six games. The Leafs look good enough to believe in a real playoff push, but there’s still plenty to sort out.
Hiller and his staff have built an attack that gives players room to create and enough scoring to give the goaltending a chance most nights. The next challenge is turning that into the kind of chemistry that lasts.
Right now, the roster looks like a mix of ingredients thrown together to get by. The real challenge is figuring out the right recipe.
In Other News...
Flames Face A Tough Blue Line Call As Trade Buzz Builds
As the Maple Leafs look for ways to keep their blue line on solid footing, the trade conversation around the league is starting to stir again. Simon Edvinsson has left Sweden and is back in North America training as Detroit works toward getting him signed before December 1, while Montreals pursuit of Dylan Larkin as a second-line center remains a live topic amid growing fan support and ongoing discussions.
Toronto has also done some early checking on the defense market, with one Calgary blueliner drawing exploratory interest. Nothing has advanced to the point of a formal move, and for now it remains part of the broader scan the Leafs are making as they evaluate whether there is a fit on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Power Play Decision Says A Lot About Torontos Early Priorities
Ahead of a game in Utah, Jim Hillers pregame comments offered a clear look at the Leafs early-season priorities. With Chris Tanev unavailable, Toronto has had to adjust on the back end, and Hiller pointed to the way the penalty kill has started as a positive sign while also confirming Anthony Stolarz will get the start in goal. The coach also touched on how the team is trying to manage responsibilities across the lineup as the defense absorbs a little more of the workload.
One of the more notable choices came on the power play, where John Tavares is moving back onto the top unit. It is the kind of decision that says plenty about how Toronto wants to lean on its veterans while still sorting out its new looks, especially with Auston Matthews building chemistry with Kirill Marchenko at even strength. For now, the Leafs are asking a lot of familiar names in key spots, and the way those pieces fit together could shape how quickly this group settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Suddenly Face A Major Problem Without Their Captain
The early-season trade chatter around the league is already starting to pick up, and for the Maple Leafs it comes with a familiar backdrop: they are at least keeping tabs on help for the blue line. Toronto has explored a possible move for Calgary Flames defenceman Zach Whitecloud, a player who has yet to register a point this season, as teams across the NHL continue to sort out their own problems and possibilities.
The interest in Whitecloud is not brand new, either. Torontos previous management group had strong interest in him, and the Canadiens have also been loosely linked, which gives the situation a little more texture as the market starts to take shape. For a Leafs team always weighing defensive depth and future fit, it is another name worth watching even if nothing is close right now. [Read more 🡒]