The Maple Leafs are only two games into the season, but the chatter around their top six is already getting loud.
Toronto sits at 1-1-0 after dropping a tough one to Montreal on Tuesday and then responding with a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders, a game decided by Easton Cowan’s eventual winner. Even with that victory in the bank, the bigger story coming out of the early stretch is that the Leafs’ bottom-six, and especially Cowan’s line, brought more life than the group expected to drive the offense.
On TSN First Up, Carlo Colaiacovo and Aaron Korolnek dug into the concern around Toronto’s second line, and Korolnek didn’t mince words about how it has looked at 5v5.
“McKenna, Nylander, Tavares; not very good at all. Not very good at 5v5...
I can absolutely see things shuffling around. They need production and they need consistency A.K.
[Korolnek].”
He followed that up with a blunt snapshot of the shot battle.
“They need to be able to tread water, they can't get hemmed in. I am looking at shot attempts from these guys - three for them and 19 against. That's a 13% shot share and you wanna typically be in the mid-40's and hope your skill can balance it out.”
The numbers from the Islanders game make the concern even harder to ignore. The McKenna/Tavares/Nylander line finished with one shot for and 10 against, along with a 7.1% xGF.
By comparison, the Marchenko/Matthews/Roslovic line had six shots for and only two against, while the Cowan/Paul/Sissons line was nearly at a 60% xGF. The first line, for reference, posted an 86.6% xGF rate against New York.
That gap is exactly why the discussion has turned toward a possible shake-up for Jim Hiller.
The problem is not just that Toronto’s second line hasn’t popped offensively. It’s that it has looked vulnerable enough to be targeted. If a team is giving up that much time and space, it becomes an easy place for opponents to attack, and that kind of weakness can’t stick around for long.
Cowan’s performance only adds to the pressure. He’s shown he can hunt pucks offensively, and he’s also capable of defending. The source material notes that he’s better than McKenna defensively and could use a bit more protection in his own end while still taking advantage of weaker matchups himself.
There’s still some credit to go around. Nylander is showing a little more heart, even if his effort against New York was called out. Tavares, meanwhile, keeps grinding, but he’s also an aging veteran and the source makes clear that there isn’t a ton of time left for him in that second-center role.
It’s still early enough for Toronto to adjust without overreacting. But if the Leafs want a different ending than last season, the top six may not be able to stay in its current shape for much longer.
In Other News...
Jim Hiller Sent A Message Leafs Fans Have Been Waiting For
Jim Hillers first few games behind the Maple Leafs bench have already offered a clearer picture of how he intends to run things. In a recent 2-1 win over the New York Islanders, the newly hired coach did not hesitate to make in-game adjustments, and he has also shown a willingness to leave forward lines together long enough to build chemistry after the offseason reshuffling led by general manager John Chayka.
The bigger takeaway for Leafs fans is the tone Hiller is setting with his stars. He has shown that lineup status will not shield anyone from being managed on merit, and the way he handled the power play in particular stood out as a message about accountability. At the same time, his patience with the rest of the group suggests he is trying to balance structure with trust, a combination Toronto has been waiting to see behind the bench. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Hiller Just Put Maple Leafs Accountability To The Test
Jim Hillers handling of William Nylander against the New York Islanders gave the Maple Leafs a glimpse of what accountability might look like when it stops being a talking point and starts affecting ice time. The move came after a defensive lapse that helped swing the game in Torontos favor, and it fit neatly into the kind of standard coaches say they want to set: mistakes matter, no matter who makes them.
The real test, of course, is whether that standard holds when the spotlight shifts to other players and other moments. The Leafs have heard plenty about responsibility over the years, but the message only carries weight if it is applied consistently and not reserved for one high-profile miscue. If Hiller is serious about building that culture, the next few decisions may matter even more than the benching itself. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Blue Line Debate Comes Down To Two Intriguing Young Targets
The Maple Leafs blue-line conversation keeps circling back to upside, and two young defensemen stand out as especially intriguing fits if Toronto decides it wants to swing bigger than the usual depth move. Alexander Nikishin and Simon Edvinsson each bring a different look, but both would fit the kind of long-term thinking the Leafs have to weigh if they want more than just a patch for the back end.
Nikishin, in particular, comes with a profile that naturally invites debate because of how much he could matter to a contender looking for a true impact defender. Edvinsson offers a different path, with his own blend of size and promise, but neither name comes without complications, which is why any pursuit would likely involve real trade cost and some patience. For a Toronto team still trying to find the right balance on defense, the attraction is obvious, even if the road to getting either player is anything but simple. [Read more 🡒]