The Maple Leafs haven’t played a game that counts yet, but the preseason has already offered a hint about what this team wants to be. And it looks a lot less like last season’s grind.
Toronto has seemed quicker, more willing to move the puck and more interested in letting skill show through than just muscling through shifts. That shift in style has shown up even when the lineup has been far from complete, which is exactly why the early look matters a little. Not for predictions, but for clues.
One of the clearest differences has been how the puck is moving out of Toronto’s own end. Even with some smaller defensemen on the ice, the size issue hasn’t jumped out the way you might have expected. The Maple Leafs have generally looked faster to recover the puck and cleaner on the first pass, and even some B-squad players have appeared more comfortable making a play right away instead of getting trapped in their own zone.
That kind of speed isn’t always about pure skating. Sometimes it’s just about making the next decision sooner.
There’s been a similar feel with the new faces on the blue line. Darren Raddysh had one preseason goal against him where he got caught badly, but the rest of his night was encouraging.
What stood out was the way the pairing functioned when he was on the ice with another offensively inclined defenseman. Neither player seemed determined to do everything on his own.
When one had the puck, the other supported the play, and that could end up being a meaningful part of how Toronto advances the puck this season.
Then there’s Gavin McKenna, who already looks like a player fans are going to want to keep watching. The No. 1 overall pick was one of the best players on the ice in his second preseason game and looked comfortable alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. He flashed the creativity that got him selected first overall, and if this is the version of him Toronto keeps seeing, there will be plenty to enjoy.
The roster picture is also starting to sharpen, and some of the decisions say a lot about where the organization is headed. On defence, Troy Stecher looks like a sensible option for the sixth spot.
He has experience, can move the puck and already knows what the organization expects from him. Toronto re-signed him to a two-year contract in the summer after he played 58 games last season.
Up front, Steven Lorentz became the latest casualty of the numbers game when Toronto placed him on waivers Thursday. He played 71 games for the Maple Leafs last season and finished with 18 points, so this was not a move aimed at a player who never mattered.
It was about competition, and Toronto has brought in enough forwards to make the bottom of the roster crowded. Lorentz cleared waivers and will begin the season with the American Hockey League Toronto Marlies.
There was also a cap wrinkle to the move. Lorentz carries a $1.35-million cap hit, but once he was assigned to the Marlies, only $125,000 stays on Toronto’s cap because the 2026-27 buried threshold is $1.225 million.
And there’s another layer to it: Lorentz was not a player brought in by Chayka. He came to Toronto before the current management and later signed his extension under the previous one. That doesn’t automatically make the decision right, but it does show that Chayka is clearly building this team in his own image, and that players from the old version of the roster are not guaranteed anything.
It’s still early, and preseason hockey has a way of flattering or misleading anybody who watches it too closely. But some signs are hard to ignore.
Toronto looks like it wants to play faster. It looks more willing to move the puck.
It looks more open to creativity.
And if the Maple Leafs are going to be easier - and maybe a lot more fun - to watch this season, that’s the place to start.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Have A Waiver Chance That Could Heat Up Canadiens Rivalry
Ryan Suzuki landing on waivers gives the Maple Leafs an interesting depth option at a time when roster shuffling is already part of the daily grind around the league. Ottawa made the move as it adjusts its lineup, and Toronto, always looking for low-cost ways to bolster its organization, now has a brief window to decide whether it wants to get involved.
The wrinkle, of course, is the family tie to Montreal, where Nick Suzuki has become one of the Canadiens most important players. Any claim by Toronto would not just be about adding another body to the mix, it would also add a fresh layer to a rivalry that never needs much help getting hotter. For now, though, there has been no official claim or transaction reported. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Have To Risk A Core Young Piece Here
The Maple Leafs are once again circling a deal that would reshape the top end of their forward group, with Toronto and Columbus reportedly deep in discussions over Kirill Marchenko. Marchenko is still a restricted free agent and does not have an extension in place, which makes the timing of any move especially delicate for a Leafs team looking to upgrade without losing too much ground in the process.
Matthew Knies and draft picks have surfaced as the kind of assets that could be involved, which is exactly the sort of price Toronto has to weigh carefully when chasing a player with upside. Nothing has been finalized or officially confirmed, and the talks remain fluid, but this is the kind of trade conversation that forces a club to decide how much of its young core it is willing to risk for a potential swing. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fans Are Suddenly Watching A Strange Marchenko Trade Rumor
Morgan Riellys situation is one of the more interesting wrinkles around the Maple Leafs as the season approaches, because Jim Hiller appears ready to give the veteran defenseman a different look. Rielly has struggled to find the right fit in recent seasons, but the new role is expected to put him in a position that better matches his offensive strengths and gives Toronto a cleaner read on what it still has in one of its most established blue-liners.
Elsewhere in the hockey rumor mill, a much stranger Boston-related thread has started making the rounds after social media users noticed Bruins players and Kirill Marchenko following each other on Instagram. It is the kind of detail that can send fans into overdrive even when the most likely explanation is pure coincidence, but it has still been enough to get people wondering whether there is anything more to the chatter. [Read more 🡒]