The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into camp with a roster squeeze that leaves almost no room for slow starts, and the calendar only makes it tighter. With four preseason games jammed into just two split-squad nights - Sept. 19 against Montreal and Sept. 23 against Ottawa - Jim Hiller’s staff will be forced to sort through multiple battles at once.
That setup creates a very different kind of evaluation period. Toronto will still get four lineups’ worth of looks, but those decisions will have to be made simultaneously instead of over a longer stretch.
Last season, the Maple Leafs brought 73 players to camp, which meant plenty of cuts were coming no matter what. Many of the bodies in camp won’t be realistic contenders for the opening-night roster; they’re there to sharpen up, show something, and collect preseason reps before heading to the minors.
Still, this year’s compressed slate makes every appearance matter more for the players actually fighting for spots.
Gavin McKenna is one of the names who will draw real attention. The first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft has expectations attached to him, and Hiller will want to see whether he can handle top-six minutes. Easton Cowan is another player with a lot on the line as he tries to make an early statement in his sophomore year.
Toronto also has five new forwards in the mix: Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, Jack Roslovic, and Colton Sissons. Each one will be trying to carve out a role. The same goes for the goaltenders, who need game action before the regular season arrives.
For players on PTOs, though, the short preseason is especially unforgiving. With fewer exhibition games to work with, there are fewer chances to build momentum or leave a lasting mark. Split-squad nights help Toronto cover more ground, but they also cut down the number of repeated looks that can separate one fringe player from another.
That makes the first impression even more important. Whether it’s a PTO signing or a bubble prospect, the early camp window is where attention gets earned.
Goaltending faces a similar squeeze. The split-squad format gives Toronto a way to distribute minutes, but it also limits the number of times depth goalies can get in front of the staff behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz.
One rough period won’t automatically end a player’s shot. Camp performance, though, will carry real weight, along with everything else the staff sees in practice and in games.
McKenna is the one exception, since Toronto can keep evaluating him into the regular season. He can play in nine NHL games before his 10th triggers Year 1 of his entry-level contract, giving the Leafs more time with him than most of the players battling on the fringe.
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Sissons read on the Leafs is shaped as much by what he has seen as by what he is walking into. He pointed to the new team dynamics and the leagues updated schedule format as factors that could help the group settle in quickly, while his time competing against key Toronto players gave him a first-hand sense of how familiar the core already is with one another. For a player arriving fresh, the challenge now is fitting into that rhythm without disrupting it. [Read more 🡒]