The Toronto Maple Leafs are six games into the season, and the picture is still coming into focus. At 3-2-1, they’re sitting on the same record they had after six games last season, a reminder that October can fool you if you let it. This team looks different, though - faster, deeper up front, and still very much in the process of learning how to play together.
There’s been enough good to keep interest high, especially among the forwards. There’s also been enough sloppiness in their own end to keep the questions coming.
One of the early bright spots has been the new top line of Kirill Marchenko, Auston Matthews, and Jack Roslovic. The numbers are strong.
In their minutes together, they’ve controlled roughly 62 percent of the shot attempts and 72 percent of expected goals. That kind of territorial edge usually leads to results eventually, even if the goals haven’t fully shown up yet.
The puck has been going the right way when that trio is on the ice, and that matters more than the early scoring drought.
Toronto has also gotten useful work from the combination of Easton Cowan with Nick Paul and Colton Sissons. It’s a smart blend: a young puck carrier in between two veterans who know how to handle their responsibilities. That line has held up well, even against tougher matchups, and it’s helped give Matthews the freedom to lean into his offensive game.
The issue is the middle of the lineup. Toronto still hasn’t settled on a second line it can trust night after night, and that’s the difference between a good-looking forward group and a truly dangerous one.
Gavin McKenna seems to be getting more comfortable with each game, and the skill is clearly there. If the coaching staff can land on the right mix, the Leafs could end up with three lines that create problems for opponents.
That’s a strong foundation.
The bigger concern is on the back end, where Chris Tanev’s injury has made an already tricky job harder. The Leafs have already shuffled pairs in an attempt to balance Morgan Rielly’s offensive instincts with steadier defensive play.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stecher have been serviceable in their minutes, but Toronto’s overall depth and quality on defense remain fair questions. Even before Tanev went down, the sense was that the Maple Leafs could have used another top-four defenseman.
Still, the real headache isn’t just who’s on the blue line. It’s how Toronto moves the puck out of its own zone.
That problem showed up badly against the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, particularly in the second period. Too often, the defensemen were forced into simple rims around the boards, and the forwards collected the puck without a clear next step. That kind of exit turns into a loop: more time spent defending, less time in control, and more wear and tear as the period drags on.
Part of that comes down to personnel, but part of it is structure and communication. Toronto can’t keep expecting players like William Nylander, Marchenko, Cowan, and McKenna to solve breakout issues with pure skill every night.
They need a cleaner plan. That’s on Jim Hiller and his staff.
For now, the next stretch feels pretty clear. The Leafs need to keep working toward a dependable three-line attack and a breakout that doesn’t collapse under pressure.
The forwards have enough talent to produce, and the Matthews line has already shown plenty of encouraging signs. On defense, though, the staff may need to simplify things while Tanev is out and decide whether outside help eventually becomes necessary.
The encouraging part is that Toronto has been competitive, and the special teams have generally done their job. A 3-2-1 start doesn’t call for panic, and it doesn’t guarantee anything either. This is a new group, and it’s still figuring itself out.
If the Leafs can tidy up the puck movement in their own end and get the lines clicking, there’s a real chance this season turns into something a lot more entertaining. The coming weeks should tell us more.
In Other News...
Leafs Chemistry Problem Is Putting Early Pressure On Jim Hiller
Early in the season, Jim Hiller is already trying to solve one of the oldest problems in hockey: how to turn a talented Maple Leafs roster into a group that actually feels connected. The moving parts have been easy to spot, with Matthew McKenna getting looks alongside Auston Matthews and William Nylander, while Easton Cowan has also been part of the forward mix as Hiller keeps searching for the right blend.
The changes have come with an obvious tradeoff, because the Leafs are still in the stage where nearly every combination seems to be under review. Past coaches have long stressed how much consistent linemates matter, and this stretch is a reminder of why, especially for a team trying to build chemistry while the lineup keeps shifting around it. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Face A Tough Blue Line Call As Trade Buzz Builds
Simon Edvinssons return to North America to train has added another layer to the league-wide defense chatter, with the Detroit Red Wings still trying to get him signed before December 1. Around that, the market keeps humming: Montreal is pursuing Dylan Larkin as a second-line center, and the fan buzz there has only amplified the sense that conversations are moving even if nothing is finished yet.
For the Maple Leafs, the focus has quietly widened beyond the obvious names, with Calgary blueliner Zach Whitecloud drawing exploratory interest. It is still just that at this stage, a look rather than a move, and no formal trade has been made, but it fits the kind of search Toronto has been in as the Blue Line market starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Groulx Suddenly Looks Like A Leaf Fighting For His Spot
Bo Groulxs place in the Maple Leafs lineup is suddenly looking a lot less secure. Toronto head coach Jim Hiller chose to take Groulx out against the Utah Mammoth, a move that came with an unusual wrinkle: seven defensemen and 11 forwards dressed for the game, leaving the young forward on the outside looking in after a quiet start to the season.
Groulx has yet to record a point in five games this year, and his NHL resume still sits at 10 points in 83 games. For a team that is always weighing depth, fit and long-term flexibility, a decision like this can hint at bigger conversations ahead, including the possibility that Toronto is already exploring other options for how to shape the roster. [Read more 🡒]