The Maple Leafs spent the offseason remaking their bottom six, and the work was aggressive. John Chayka’s team added Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, Colton Sissons and Nick Paul in a sweep that was meant to give Toronto more toughness, more reliability and a deeper group after missing the postseason in 2025-26.
That kind of turnover naturally drew debate. Nick Kypreos was among those who questioned whether the Leafs went too far, arguing on a recent episode of Real Kyper and Bourne that Toronto brought in too many players with too many overlapping traits. He pointed to the group’s similar speed and style, and Justin Bourne also raised the concern that adding those four players could block Jacob Quillan from making the jump to the NHL.
Kypreos’ biggest issue was pace.
“I would have preferred a speedy guy somewhere,” said Kypreos. “A real gazelle. I am worried a little bit about speed.”
But the numbers paint a more nuanced picture.
Using last season’s NHL Edge data, Toronto’s new bottom-six pieces were not exactly plodding. Beck Malenstyn of the Buffalo Sabres was the fastest skater league-wide at 40.14 kilometres per hour (km/h), and the Leafs’ additions weren’t far off in the context of their roles.
Paul hit 36.20 km/h in 51 games before injury cut his season short. Duhaime reached 37.50 km/h.
Sissons clocked 36.99 km/h. Blueger came in at 35.77 km/h.
Quillan’s top speed, in limited playing time, was 36.32 km/h. Nicholas Robertson, who was in the 72nd percentile of speed, reached 36.48 km/h. Bobby McMann may have been the quickest player the Leafs lost from that bottom-six group at 39.03 km/h, but Toronto’s new quartet still doesn’t look like a lineup that has suddenly lost all its wheels.
What the Leafs may have traded is a little speed for a lot more in other areas. Duhaime brings a pest-like edge and led the four newcomers with 159 hits last season. Sissons is the defensive specialist in the group, the kind of player who can take key face-offs in his own end, help move the puck out and work the penalty kill, easing some of that burden on Auston Matthews.
Paul gives Toronto a little of everything. Blueger adds another layer of shutdown ability and gives the Leafs a player they can lean on against tougher opponents. He may end up in more of a platoon role as the season goes on, but each of the four arrives with a distinct purpose.
So while this bottom six is older than Leafs Nation may be used to, calling the overhaul overkill misses what Toronto actually bought. These aren’t carbon copies. They each bring a different tool to the lineup, and that matters as much as straight-line speed.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Just Built Deeper Roster Insurance Than Fans Realize
The Maple Leafs quietly turned a roster squeeze into a depth win this week, placing eight players on waivers and sending all of them through to the Toronto Marlies. The group includes Brendan Brisson, Vinni Lettieri, Steven Lorentz, Michael Pezzetta, Henrik Rybinski, Ryan Tverberg, Philippe Myers and Marshall Rifai, giving the organization a fuller reserve of NHL-caliber options than it may have had at this point last season.
For Toronto, the immediate effect is less about the big clubs opening-night picture and more about what it means underneath it. The Marlies suddenly have a far more experienced mix to lean on, while the Maple Leafs can keep a deeper layer of roster insurance close by if injuries or performance issues force changes later on. In a league where early-season attrition can reshape depth charts quickly, that kind of organizational cushion matters more than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Roster Shift Opens Door For Marlies Standout To Break Through
Dakota Joshuas core injury is creating an early roster ripple for the Maple Leafs, and it looks like the opening could go to a familiar depth name. With Joshua expected to land on injured reserve or long-term injured reserve, James Mirtle reported that Bo Groulx is likely to start the season with Toronto after coming up from the Marlies.
For a team that is already sorting through changes up front, Joshuas health has added a fresh layer of uncertainty to the bottom six. The bigger question now is not just how long hes out, but what his injury and the clubs recent roster moves mean for his place in the lineup once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Have A Short-Term Wing Decision To Make
The Blue Jackets putting Miles Wood on waivers put another experienced winger into the conversation for clubs looking to stabilize their depth, and the Maple Leafs are among the teams that can at least take a serious look. Wood has been around the league long enough to know the grind of a full season, and his name lands in Toronto at a time when the roster could use some extra insurance on the wing.
For the Leafs, the appeal is straightforward: he is a veteran option with a track record of NHL minutes and a contract that makes him a more manageable short-term discussion than a splashier addition. The question now is whether Toronto sees enough value in that profile to move quickly, or whether it lets the waiver process play out and waits to see what other answers might emerge. [Read more 🡒]