The Toronto Maple Leafs walked out of Tuesday night with a 5-4 loss to the Utah Mammoth, but the bigger picture still looks encouraging after seven games. At 3-3-1, Toronto sits on seven points, tied with Montreal for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and just one point behind third place in the Atlantic Division.
That’s not the kind of record that screams dominance, but it’s a workable start, especially with the calendar about to tilt in the Leafs’ favor. October has already asked plenty of them, and November gives them a real chance to bank points and climb.
There’s been plenty to like in the opening stretch. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are producing like the stars they are.
Gavin McKenna has taken a step forward every game. Easton Cowan is making noticeable progress in his development.
And the newer faces have chipped in too, with Darren Raddysh and Kirill Marchenko both flashing the kind of upside that can matter later on.
Toronto’s offense has been good enough to keep them in the mix. The Leafs rank 10th in goals scored across the NHL, which looks even more impressive when you remember they managed only six goals in their first three games. Special teams have also carried real weight here: the power play is sitting at 29.2%, good for top-5 in the league, and the penalty kill has quietly been the NHL’s best at 95.8%.
The path to get here has not exactly been gentle, either. Through seven games, Toronto has faced only two teams that missed the playoffs last year.
They’ve already gone through a three-game trip against the Avalanche, Golden Knights and Mammoth, and that was just one of two major road swings on the schedule. Another four-game western trip still awaits, with stops against the Oilers, Flames, Kraken and Canucks.
That’s why the next month matters. November brings 13 games in 30 days, a six-game homestand to open the month, and 9 of those 13 games at home. For a team trying to climb in a tight Atlantic race, that setup offers a real opening.
The problem, as usual, is on the other side of the puck. Toronto’s biggest concern remains goals against, and it showed on the recent road trip, where the Leafs allowed 11 goals in three games. That kind of number won’t travel well if the goal is to be taken seriously in the Cup picture.
The underlying defensive numbers add to the unease. Toronto ranks 30th in the NHL in expected goals against, even though it sits 20th in actual goals against. That split is enough to make anyone pause.
Anthony Stolarz and Sergei Bobrosvky have both shown they can steal a game when they’re on, but the Leafs need much more consistency from that tandem. As good as “Bob” and “Stollie” can be, Toronto can’t keep asking them to stand on their heads every night.
Still, there’s a difference between a team that can score in bunches and a team that has to scratch and claw for every goal. Toronto can erase a three-goal deficit on a random night.
It has one of the league’s best power plays. It has forwards who can match up with just about anyone offensively.
That matters.
The defensive issues are real, but Jim Hiller and John Chayka have plenty of runway to address them. For now, the Leafs have put together a start that feels promising, even if the standings don’t fully show it yet.
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 🡒]