The Maple Leafs are 1-1-0, and that’s a perfectly acceptable place to be this early. The problem isn’t the record. It’s the way the team has looked doing it, and that’s why Jim Hiller’s refusal to shake up the lineup feels a little too patient for comfort.
At Friday morning practice, multiple reports had Hiller rolling with the same group he’s used since opening night:
Kirill Marchenko -- Auston Matthews -- Jack Roslovic
Gavin McKenna -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Easton Cowan -- Nick Paul -- Colton Sissons
Bo Groulx -- Teddy Blueger -- Brandon Duhaime
Morgan Rielly -- Darren Raddysh
Jake McCabe -- Chris Tanev
Oliver Ekman-Larsson -- Troy Stecher
Nick Blankenburg
The top line doesn’t need touching. Kirill Marchenko has settled in beautifully next to Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic, and that unit has been driving play through the first two games. The real question is what Hiller wants to do with the middle six, because that’s where things have started to look messy.
Gavin McKenna is going to have a great NHL career, but he has looked a little lost to start it. He needs time to adjust to the speed, and right now he looks like a young player still trying to catch up to the game around him.
Easton Cowan, on the other hand, is coming out hot. He’s off to a strong start in his second year and looks like the kind of complementary piece every team wants.
That’s why a simple swap makes sense: move Cowan up with John Tavares and William Nylander, and send McKenna down to skate with Nick Paul and Colton Sissons. The current second line has been getting shelled, so why not give Cowan a shot with the stars and let McKenna breathe a little with more support? It would give Cowan a chance to bring some forecheck and bite to that line, while McKenna could settle into a role where he doesn’t have to be one of the main drivers every shift.
The blue line has its own issues. Darren Raddysh hasn’t looked great to start his Leafs run, and Morgan Rielly is not exactly the kind of partner who helps someone slow things down and simplify. If anything, Rielly looks better suited to a more sheltered offensive role than to heavy top-pairing minutes right now.
There are a couple different ways to handle it. Jake McCabe could slide into the top spot and Rielly could move beside Chris Tanev to balance things out.
Or Oliver Ekman-Larsson could be the one to take a turn in that spot. Either way, after the defensive breakdowns Toronto has already had, the pairs deserve another look.
Maybe Hiller is waiting for a bigger sample. If so, he’ll get one fast. The Maple Leafs host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday in the first Battle of Ontario of the season, and if that one goes badly, the case for making changes gets a lot stronger.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Prospect Suddenly Faces A Troubling Silence Overseas
Victor Johanssons situation in Sweden has become one of those quiet developments that can linger in the background until it suddenly matters more. The Toronto Maple Leafs defensive prospect was expected to be part of Brynas mix in the SHL, but he has not played this season and was not seen in preseason action, leaving a notable gap for a young player whose progress the organization is still tracking.
What makes the absence more unsettling is the lack of clarity around it. Reports from Sweden suggest Johansson is dealing with an unspecified issue, yet there has been no official update to explain the delay or outline a timeline, which leaves both Brynas and the Maple Leafs waiting for information on a prospect whose future now feels less certain than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Hiller Sent A Message Leafs Fans Have Been Waiting For
Jim Hillers first few turns behind the Maple Leafs bench have already offered a little glimpse of what this new era might look like. In the recent 2-1 win over the New York Islanders, the new head coach was willing to make lineup and in-game adjustments, and he has shown an early willingness to hold his best players to the same standard as everyone else. That matters in Toronto, where fans have spent years waiting to see a coach make quick, firm decisions when the game demands them.
Hiller has also shown a more patient side in how he handles his forward groups, keeping combinations together as the team works through a summer of roster turnover under general manager John Chayka. The balance is what stands out: accountability in the moment, but restraint when it comes to chemistry and development. For a Leafs team trying to find a cleaner identity, the next question is whether that approach will hold when the pressure ramps up and the power play faces another big test. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Trade Of Matthew Knies Raises An Ugly Question About Toronto
Matthew Knies move from the Maple Leafs to the Columbus Blue Jackets, in a deal involving Kirill Marchenko, has left a familiar kind of aftertaste around Toronto. The trade itself was surprising enough, but it also reopened the conversation about how the organization handles young players who are trying to establish themselves and figure out where they fit in the bigger picture.
Knies agent, Matt Frederico, made clear he was frustrated with the way things were handled, arguing that the player needed clarity about whether Toronto actually saw him as part of its plans. The contract extension Knies signed did not include trade protection, which gave the Maple Leafs the flexibility to make the move and left an ugly question hanging over the franchises approach to one of its younger pieces. [Read more 🡒]