The Maple Leafs may have found the steal of the 2026 offseason in Jack Roslovic.
Through 17 games of the new 84-game season, the free-agent pickup has gone from being viewed as Auston Matthews’ former teammate and a familiar middle-six option to one of the most productive players on the roster. He has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points, production that has him on pace for 40 goals, 49 assists and 89 points.
That kind of jump would be remarkable for any player, let alone a 29-year-old on his sixth NHL team. Roslovic’s previous career high was 45 points in 2021-22 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, his hometown team. If this pace holds, he would finish 44 points above that mark.
What has made the difference is the fit. Roslovic is skating alongside Matthews, a longtime friend with whom he shared time at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program from 2013 to 2015.
Even more than a decade later, the connection still looks natural. The two seem to read the ice the same way, always finding each other in the right spots.
For Toronto, that chemistry has turned a low-risk signing into a huge early win. Roslovic arrived on a $4 million-per-season deal, and it already looks like a bargain.
His path to this point has included stops with the Winnipeg Jets, Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes before landing in Toronto. Now, after years of bouncing around, he looks more comfortable and more dangerous than at any point in his 11-year career.
There were always questions about consistency and attitude earlier in his career, but this season has looked different. Roslovic is playing at a level that suggests the Maple Leafs targeted the right landing spot for him, and he made the right choice too.
If he and Matthews keep clicking, Roslovic’s numbers could keep climbing. Even if he falls short of the projection, he’s already building a case as one of the best free-agent signings in Maple Leafs history.
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Maple Leafs Let A Vital Home Point Slip Over One Costly Mistake
Jack Roslovic did enough to give the Maple Leafs a chance, scoring both Toronto goals in a tight 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth at Scotiabank Arena. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 33 of 36 shots, and for long stretches the game looked like the kind of home effort that should at least have produced a point.
Instead, one late mistake changed the night. A penalty in the final stretch handed Utah a power play in a tied game, and the visitors made Toronto pay with the decisive goal. For a Leafs team trying to bank every point it can at home, it was the sort of lapse that lingers because the margin was so thin. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Still Need More From Darren Raddysh In One Key Area
Darren Raddysh has already shown he can help the Maple Leafs in a few different ways, and his early profile with the club reflects that. He is tied for third on the team in shots on goal, a sign that he is getting involved offensively, but his own focus has been broader than just finishing chances. After reflecting on his scoring last season, Raddysh said he is willing to contribute however he can to Torontos success, including in his own end.
Coach Jim Hiller has noticed the defensive work and the way Raddysh helps move the puck on the power play, which has been one of the teams strengths. The next step, though, is finding a little more assertiveness as a shooter, because the Leafs could use him to turn more of those looks into actual attempts. For a player trying to carve out a bigger role, that balance between supporting the attack and becoming more direct could matter as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs May Be Falling Behind In The Dylan Larkin Sweepstakes
The Dylan Larkin chatter around the league has taken on a new shape, and it is not one that favors Toronto. Minnesota has reportedly put together a serious trade pitch to Detroit for the Red Wings captain, one built around high-end prospects and a pile of future draft capital, which is the sort of package that can change a front offices thinking in a hurry. For the Maple Leafs, who have been monitoring the situation like everyone else, the issue is less about interest than about whether they can realistically match the kind of return another contender is lining up.
From Torontos perspective, this is where the market gets tricky. The Leafs have long been linked to star-level upgrades, but the assets needed to win a bidding war are not always there, and this one appears to be tilting toward a team with more flexibility. Nothing is settled and no agreement is in place, but if Detroit is weighing offers purely on upside and volume, Toronto may already be on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]