Jim Hiller wasted little time shaking up the Maple Leafs’ power play, and the first unit already looks different. Jack Roslovic and Darren Raddysh both slotted in with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares, giving Toronto a revamped look as it heads into the 2026-27 season.
That change fits the broader direction of the roster. The Maple Leafs are bringing in a brand new lineup that is expected to deliver more offence and more excitement than the previous two seasons, and the power play has been a major focus. Raddysh arrives to give the man advantage a legitimate shooting threat, while Daniel Alfredsson is also behind the bench as part of the effort to get the unit moving again.
Hiller, for his part, does not seem interested in easing into the experiment. He put both newcomers on the top group right away, and the setup with Matthews and Roslovic makes sense given that Hiller has been impressed with how the two have worked together so far.
The second unit featured Gavin McKenna, Matthew Knies, Bo Groulx, Tinus Luc Koblar and Emil Andrae. It is a younger, less experienced group, but it also gives those players a chance to build chemistry early as they look ahead to eventually becoming teammates in the future.
McKenna’s place is especially worth watching. He could move around as Hiller mixes and matches, but a second-unit role may be the cleanest way to ease him in for now.
Toronto’s power play has been elite before, and that’s the standard the club is chasing again. The Leafs posted a 27.3% success rate in 2021-22 and followed that with a 26% mark in 2022-23. That kind of production turned over one in four chances into goals and helped Auston Matthews reach those 60-goal plateaus.
If Toronto wants Matthews back at that level, the power play has to be among the league’s best again. Raddysh gives the Leafs a new outlet to score, and the group around him has enough talent to capitalize on rebounds and second chances.
The unit does not have to be flawless, but it does need to be far more dangerous under Hiller than it was under Craig Berube. Fans will get their first look Saturday night, and Toronto will be hoping the new look catches quickly and stays sharp all season.
In Other News...
Gavin McKennas First Leafs Game Is Raising An Immediate Concern
Gavin McKenna is about to get his first preseason look with the Maple Leafs, and the early conversation around him has already moved beyond his skating and skill. The detail drawing attention is his listed weight, which comes in about 10 pounds below what was recorded at the NHL Draft Combine, a shift fans noticed right away as they started circling his first game in blue and white.
For Toronto, the question is less about a number on a chart and more about how his frame plays in actual NHL competition. The league has plenty of examples of smaller players finding success by leaning on pace, balance and quick decision-making, and McKenna fits that broader discussion as he begins his Leafs preseason path. There is no official sign of any health issue, but the size talk is going to follow him until he shows what he can do on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Matthews Gave Leafs Fans One Reason To Exhale In Montreal
A split-squad preseason night in Montreal did not provide the kind of clean result the Maple Leafs wanted, with Toronto dropping both games and leaning on a few individual performances to find any real positives. Auston Matthews offered the biggest one, flashing the kind of speed that had been missing at times last season and setting up a goal in a showing that suggested he is starting to look more like himself again.
Darren Raddysh scored Torontos lone goal, while rookie Gavin McKenna gave the club a glimpse of his playmaking touch even if the night included a penalty. For a Leafs team still sorting out its early preseason shape, the game was less about the scoreboard than the different levels of comfort shown by key veterans and younger pieces trying to carve out a role. [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 filled with fringe players and prospects. In the kind of preseason setting where jobs are being sorted out one shift at a time, he dropped the gloves with Canadiens forward Lucas Condotta and was ejected shortly after, a reminder that these games can still carry plenty of bite even without the regulars on the ice elsewhere.
The moment fit the tone of a roster battle more than a tune-up, with every involved player trying to leave an impression before camp decisions get tougher. Pezzettas early exit came before teammate Teddy Blueger also fought in the same game, adding another layer of edge to a matchup that had already turned physical and given the Leafs another bit of evidence about who is willing to make noise in a depth role. [Read more 🡒]