The Maple Leafs finally caught a break this offseason, and it came in the form of Gavin McKenna.
After moving up in the 2026 NHL Draft and landing the Penn State standout, Toronto suddenly had a path back into contention. What had been shaping up as a rough stretch - a team outside its window and missing first-round picks for several years - flipped fast into something that looked like a one-year reset.
That reset also came with major changes behind the scenes. Brad Treliving was let go, John Chayka was hired as the new general manager, Craig Berube was out, and Jim Hiller took over behind the bench.
The fallout from the 2025-26 season clearly pushed the organization in a new direction, especially with the core four now missing Mitch Marner, who left for Vegas. The whole thing felt more like an ending than a continuation.
McKenna changed that mood immediately. Justin Bieber, very strangely, announced the pick at the draft, and the Leafs suddenly had fresh energy around a young star who could help Auston Matthews in his prime and ease the burden on an aging John Tavares.
Toronto has kept pushing to stay in the race. That matters even more with a Matthews contract decision coming up, because the club needs to show it can still operate as a contender.
The Leafs also made moves to support that push. Darren Raddysh was added to help the defense, Sergei Bobrovsky was brought in for championship-level goaltending, and Emil Andrae plus Jack Roslovic were added to round out the roster and put last season in the rearview mirror.
That approach should sound familiar to Devils fans.
Back in 2019, New Jersey landed the first-overall pick and the chance to draft Jack Hughes, a moment that changed the franchise’s direction. Hughes was the kind of player you build around, and the Devils thought they already had enough pieces around him to keep moving forward.
At the time, they had Taylor Hall only a year removed from an MVP season, Nico Hischier coming into his own, Pavel Zacha approaching his prime, and veterans like Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Andy Greene and Cory Schneider still in the mix. The roster looked like it had enough to compete, but it still needed help, especially on defense - a problem that should feel awfully familiar to Toronto.
So Ray Shero went out and took on P.K. Subban’s full salary, signed Wayne Simmonds to a $5 million deal and traded for Nikita Gusev.
It did not go the way they hoped. Hughes wasn’t NHL ready yet and finished with 21 points in 61 games.
Subban’s back injury altered him permanently as a player. Gusev was fine, but nowhere near the immediate difference-maker many expected.
Then came the panic.
New Jersey traded Taylor Hall once it became clear he wasn’t going to re-sign. The Devils also moved Blake Coleman, who remains a major contributor today, along with Simmonds, Sami Vatanen and captain Andy Greene. On top of that roster churn, they fired both John Hynes and Ray Shero in the middle of the season.
That meant Hughes spent his rookie year trying to find his footing while everything around him was coming apart - a traded star, a traded captain, more trades, a fired coach and a fired general manager.
That’s the lesson for Toronto. The Maple Leafs do not want to repeat the Devils’ version of progress over the last five years.
If this season brings some pain, so be it. The point is to avoid the kind of panic that makes things worse.
No desperate Matthews trade. No quick-trigger move on Hiller if he turns out to be the wrong hire.
Keep the core pieces together and make the locker room a place that’s easy to live in.
Hughes eventually became a superstar, but it took longer than people expected. McKenna should have a bigger immediate impact because he already has a year of college hockey behind him, but if he stumbles, Toronto cannot overreact. A few weeks in the AHL would not be the end of the world, and if it protects his confidence and helps set up a two-decade career, that’s a trade worth making.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Quietly Added A Goalie Prospect Fans Barely Know
The Marlies latest round of AHL-only signings included a name most Maple Leafs fans probably have not spent much time on yet: Russian goaltender Timofei Obvintsev. Drafted by Toronto in 2024, he arrives with a thin pro resume, but also with a clear developmental lane as the organization looks to stock the crease at the minor-league level and keep another project moving forward.
Obvintsevs path has not been especially smooth so far, with limited game action in Russian leagues because of injuries and competition for minutes. Now he is in position to battle for a backup role with the Marlies, and there is a chance he also sees time in the ECHL to get the kind of reps that were harder to come by overseas. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Newcomers Could Make A Few Offseason Moves Look Brilliant
The Maple Leafs spent the offseason adding a few names that could end up mattering more than their initial billing suggests. Jack Roslovic arrived on a two-year contract and brings a track record of solid scoring, while Nick Paul came over in a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning and adds a familiar sort of depth piece every contender needs. Emil Andrae also joined via trade, giving Toronto another young defender with room to grow after a difficult stretch in Philadelphia.
Roslovic and Paul fit the kind of practical, lower-drama additions that can steady a lineup over the long haul, but Andrae is the one who adds a little more intrigue to the group. The 23-year-old has the sort of upside that can make an offseason look sharp in hindsight if he takes a real step forward, and Toronto will be watching closely to see whether this change of scenery helps unlock it. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Still Have A Depth Question Heading Into Camp
Several NHL clubs have already dipped into the professional try-out market ahead of training camp, and that naturally has the Maple Leafs watching the same lane. With roster spots still in flux, Toronto could be in the mix for a PTO or two of its own, especially as teams sort out the bottom of the lineup and look for players who can help immediately without a long-term commitment.
Among the names floating as possibilities are defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who has NHL experience with the Predators and Avalanche, and versatile center Curtis Lazar, a veteran of several NHL stops. Nothing has been signed yet, and the Leafs have also had recent roster changes under general manager John Chayka, so this feels like one of those late-summer questions that could linger right up to camp. [Read more 🡒]