The Maple Leafs are walking into 2026-27 with a different feel, and that starts with how the roster looks on paper. After finishing last in the Atlantic Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference, they’re coming off a season that left them not just outside the playoffs, but watching the losses pile up night after night.
This summer brought changes everywhere - in the front office, on the bench and in the lineup - and general manager John Chayka clearly made a point of reshaping the group. The result is a team that at least looks more balanced, with added veteran presence, more depth and a little more upside sprinkled through the roster.
Free agency was where Chayka made his biggest swing. Sergei Boborvosky, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime and Teddy Blueger were all brought in, and then Nick Paul arrived via trade to deepen the forward group. It’s not a no-risk approach, but it does give the Maple Leafs a different profile than they’ve had before.
Bobrovsky stands out as the biggest name in that mix. Last season was his worst statistically, but the Maple Leafs are betting on his durability and his ability to deliver in big moments.
He’s 37, though new sports performance vice-president Andy O’Brien believes his body is younger than his age. O’Brien, who worked with Sidney Crosby and with the Florida Panthers, could end up playing a major role in how the team is handled from the net out.
The forward additions are meant to do more than just fill spots. Sissons, Roslovic and Paul all bring qualities that can support the stars and give the coaching staff more options up and down the lineup.
Sissons can help stabilize the defensive zone and ease some of the pressure on Auston Matthews. Roslovic and Paul add speed and the chance for more offense, and both could chip in at least 20 goals and 40 points.
Paul also wants a healthy season, while Roslovic’s defensive issues remain part of the package.
There’s also a new wrinkle on the back end with Darren Raddysh, whose shot and mobility could help lift production from the blue line. That’s an area where the Maple Leafs have had trouble in the past, and any added punch from defense would matter.
Still, the biggest questions are tied to the players already carrying the weight. The stars have not solved the problem when it matters most, and that reality hangs over everything.
With a new coaching staff and a fresh alignment around them, the pressure is on the top names to get the team moving in the right direction again. From two playoff series wins to their first playoff absence in the Auston Matthews era, there’s a lot to sort through.
Matthews is the clearest example. Over the last two seasons, he has posted 78 and 53 points, well below the 107 he put up in 2023-24.
His 27 goals last season also marked the first time he failed to reach 30. Injuries played a role, including the grade 3 MCL injury, and if he had been healthy, the story might have been different.
With Jim Hiller back behind the bench, the question is whether Matthews can return to a more offensive role instead of spending so much time in defensive situations, even though he remains a strong two-way player.
John Tavares is still producing at a high level, reaching 70 points in four of the last five seasons, but age is now part of the conversation. William Nylander is another key piece, and after an up-and-down year, the Maple Leafs need to know whether he can reclaim the role of top point producer. Morgan Rielly also needs a reset.
Beyond the established core, there are health and development questions too. Can Chris Tanev and Anthony Stolarz stay on the ice?
Can Matthew Knies keep climbing? Can Easton Cowan take a step?
And can Gavin McKenna adjust quickly enough to make an early impact?
There’s no shortage of issues for the Maple Leafs to unpack once camp opens and the season begins. Even Tavares acknowledged that the group still has plenty to prove if it wants to get back into contender territory. With a shorter camp and an earlier start, they won’t have much time to figure it out.
Just like last season, the opening stretch will go a long way toward shaping the conversation around this team. The offseason moves were made. Now the Maple Leafs have to show they actually change the outcome.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Could Make Bottom Six A Lot More Interesting
The Maple Leafs have already added one Raddysh, bringing in defenseman Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade with Tampa Bay, and that move has naturally opened the door to some family-based roster chatter around Toronto. With the bottom six still an area the club could keep tinkering with, Taylor Raddysh has emerged as a possible fit if the New York Rangers decide their roster situation forces their hand.
For Toronto, the appeal is easy to see. Taylor Raddysh would give the Leafs another depth option with enough familiarity around the league to help settle a role in the lineup, and the idea of pairing brothers in the same organization only adds to the intrigue. Whether it becomes more than speculation depends on how the Rangers handle their constraints, but it is the sort of possibility that keeps this part of the roster worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Just Sent A Clear Message About Gavin McKenna
Gavin McKennas first taste of Maple Leafs camp will take a quieter turn than some might have expected. After practicing with the team, Toronto has decided the rookie will not take part in the upcoming Prospects Challenge in Gatineau, choosing instead to keep him in Toronto to rest and get ready for the season ahead.
For a player the organization clearly wants to handle carefully, the move sends a pretty direct message about priorities. Prospect tournaments can be useful for evaluation, but they also bring real injury risk, and the Leafs appear more interested in protecting McKennas long-term path than pushing him into an extra round of physical games before the season even begins. [Read more 🡒]
Max Domi's Absence Suddenly Changes How Leafs Fans See Summer Moves
Max Domis status has quickly become one of the more notable subplots around Maple Leafs camp, with the veteran forward not expected to attend because of complications from offseason surgery. It is the kind of development that can reshape how a summer is judged, because Toronto spent the offseason building a deeper middle of the lineup and did not do it by accident.
Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and Jack Roslovic all arrived as part of that push to fortify the forward group, and the Leafs cap situation and roster construction now look like signs the team was preparing for this possibility. Even before camp opened, Toronto seemed to understand there was a chance Domi might not be ready to start the season, and his absence puts a brighter spotlight on those additions right away. [Read more 🡒]