The Maple Leafs have spent the offseason reshaping more than just their roster, and the biggest payoff from all that change might come on the power play.
Toronto has brought in a wave of new voices across the front office and bench, with John Chayka stepping in as GM, Mats Sundin joining as a senior advisor, and Freddie Hamilton and Judd Brackett also added. On the coaching side, Jim Hiller replaces Craig Berube, while John Gruden, Brad Werenka, and Daniel Alfredsson come in as new assistants. That overhaul matters because the Leafs appear to have built it with one clear goal in mind: giving their man advantage a real identity.
The power play has been all over the map for Toronto. At times it has sat near the top of the league, at others near the bottom, and that kind of inconsistency has left the team searching for something sturdier.
Hiller gives them a strong starting point. He’s long been viewed as a power-play specialist, and he previously ran the Maple Leafs’ power play under Mike Babcock as an assistant coach.
Alfredsson adds another layer. He handled the power play in Ottawa and had plenty of success doing it, so pairing him with Hiller gives Toronto two coaches with real experience in that area. That combination opens the door to some creative options.
The personnel changes help too. Gavin McKenna arrives as a premier playmaker who can set up Auston Matthews and William Nylander, while Darren Raddysh brings a different kind of threat altogether. Ten of Raddysh’s 22 goals came on the power play, and his ability to unleash 100 MPH+ shots gives Toronto a weapon it has not had in any version of the Matthews era.
A possible setup shows how the pieces could fit:
Unit 1:
Roslovic - Matthews - Nylander
McKenna - Raddysh
Unit 2:
Joshua - Tavares - Knies
Andrae - Cowan
It’s not a perfect blueprint, but the logic is clear. The first group leans on the Roslovic-Matthews connection, Nylander’s shot, McKenna’s passing, and Raddysh’s heavy blast. The second unit has its own appeal, with John Tavares and Easton Cowan both able to create chances, while Matthew Knies can work the front of the net with Joshua.
Emil Andrae is the unusual name in that second group, but the source points to his 246 shots over the last two seasons and the fact that he can pinch when needed, with Cowan able to help speed back and defend.
Taken together, Toronto looks set to ice a more mobile, shot-driven, and inventive power play, backed by a staff that should know how to get the most out of it. If it clicks, it could become the Maple Leafs’ biggest weapon as they try to climb the Atlantic Division.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Push For Veteran Upgrade As Familiar Cap Tension Builds
After a busy stretch of roster tinkering, the Maple Leafs are still shopping for another top-six forward, with the front office weighing both trade possibilities and free-agent avenues. The search is not limited to one position, either, since Toronto is open to adding a center or a winger as it continues to reshape the group around its established core.
The challenge, as always, is making the math work. Toronto is operating under familiar cap pressure, which means any meaningful addition may depend on moving someone out first, and the club has to be compliant by the start of the season. For now, the Leafs are doing the usual summer balancing act: keeping options open, monitoring veteran names, and trying to find a fit without creating a new roster problem in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Could Turn Anaheims Cap Squeeze Into A Risky Scoring Upgrade
Anaheims latest roster business has created the kind of cap-pressure ripple that always gets watched closely around the league, and Toronto is one of the teams that could be tempted if the price is right. The Ducks just locked up Leo Carlsson on a five-year deal, and with restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier still hanging over their books, they are looking for ways to open space. Frank Vatrano is the veteran name now floating in trade chatter, and his contract has put him squarely into the sort of conversation contenders tend to monitor.
For the Maple Leafs, the appeal is obvious enough: a chance to add scoring help without waiting for the market to sort itself out. The complication is just as obvious, because Toronto would have to create room before taking on Vatranos deal, and that is never a small task for a club already managing a tight cap picture. Even with Anaheim willing to make the move easier, the Leafs would still need to decide how far they want to go to chase a risky offensive upgrade, especially with bigger roster questions still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Just Faced Their Biggest Young Core Decision Yet
A day of front-office churn added another layer to the Maple Leafs offseason reset, with Hayley Wickenheiser departing after eight years in a variety of roles around the organization. Her exit came as Toronto continued to reshape its hockey operations group, a process that has already included other notable departures and reflects how much change has been flowing through the club behind the scenes.
The Leafs also moved on from director of amateur scouting Mark Leach and senior advisor of player personnel Dave Morrison, underscoring that this is more than a single personnel move. For a team trying to keep its footing while reworking the people in charge of finding and developing talent, the bigger question now is how much more of the old structure is left before the next phase of the overhaul takes hold. [Read more 🡒]