The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have much room for the usual October drift this season.
For years, slow starts have been part of the script in Toronto. This time, that kind of opening would be a problem the Leafs can’t shrug off, especially with the Atlantic Division as deep as it is. In the past five seasons, they’ve only been above .500 by a little, and their best opening stretch came in 2024, when they went 6-4-1.
This year’s schedule gives them a chance to get moving early. The NHL season begins in September, and Toronto has 16 games from September 29 through October 31. With games coming basically every other night, Halloween should tell the story of whether this team is on track for the playoffs or headed for trouble again.
The roster has changed, but the pressure points haven’t. Toronto brought in a number-one goalie, a defenseman and an overall pick, yet the core remains the group that will determine how far this season goes. Health is still a question, too, which keeps the margin for error thin.
The opening month also looks manageable on paper. In those first 16 games, the Leafs face only five teams that made the playoffs last year. That’s a window they ought to use.
The biggest tests come in a short stretch away from home. After four home games to start, Toronto heads west for a trip that includes Vegas, Colorado and Utah. The visits to the Golden Knights and Avalanche stand out immediately; both are among the NHL’s best, and coming away with a split there would say plenty about where the Leafs stand.
A few days later, the schedule tightens again. San Jose comes to Toronto on October 19th, and then the Leafs go to Edmonton on October 24th to face Connor McDavid. Before that, they’ll also see a future MVP in Macklin Celebrini at home.
Outside of those games, there isn’t much room for excuses. Toronto should be able to navigate the month and be around 10-6 after its first 16, putting itself in position for a playoff run. But if the Leafs are sitting well below .500 on November 1st, it points to another long season in Toronto.
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 🡒]