The Toronto Maple Leafs will get a trimmed-down preseason slate in 2026-27, and the first thing that stands out is how little room there is for error.
Toronto announced its pre-season schedule on Wednesday, and under the new CBA, the exhibition calendar is much shorter than it used to be. The Leafs will play four pre-season games, spread across two dates, with two of those games coming at Scotiabank Arena.
The action starts Sept. 19 with split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens. Then on Sept. 23, Toronto will face the Ottawa Senators in the second half of its pre-season schedule, again with split-squad games on the docket.
That’s a noticeable step down from this past year, when the Maple Leafs played six pre-season games - two apiece against the Senators, Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings.
The matchup pattern also keeps a familiar theme alive. This is the sixth straight pre-season in which Toronto will see both Montreal and Ottawa, with that run only interrupted by the 2020-21 COVID-19-affected season, which did not include a pre-season.
There’s also a bigger-picture angle here: this will be the first real glimpse of what the new Maple Leafs will look like. Toronto is entering the season with a new front office, a new coaching staff and several new players.
The regular-season schedule still hasn’t been released. The league has said opening night matchups will be announced on July 15, with the full schedule coming July 16.
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What makes the fit interesting is the way Duhaime is being cast around the roster, not just as a grinder but as a physical presence who can help keep younger players from getting pushed around. His history of dropping the gloves and his willingness to play a rugged game suggest the Leafs see a tougher, more useful version of the old-school deterrent, with enough offensive touch to contribute if everything clicks. [Read more 🡒]
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Akhtyamov remains a promising name in the system, but the path to real NHL minutes just got a lot narrower. Bobrovsky is expected to handle a heavy workload and stay durable enough to keep the crease mostly spoken for, which means Akhtyamovs chances could be limited to spot duty if injuries open the door. For now, the Leafs get the security they wanted, while their prospect may have to spend a lot more time waiting for the opportunity that once looked much closer. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Just Settled A Depth Question Fans Have Been Watching
The Maple Leafs quietly wrapped up a small but important bit of business by locking in three depth pieces for the next stretch of roster planning. Forwards Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg each landed one-year extensions, while defender William Villeneuve got a two-year deal, giving Toronto a little more clarity on the back end of its organizational depth chart and in the group of forwards pushing for AHL and NHL opportunities.
Villeneuve stands out as the most immediate insurance policy, a right-shot defender with limited NHL experience who is viewed as an injury call-up option when the Leafs need help. Quillan and Tverberg come with their own roster-management wrinkles, including waiver and arbitration considerations that matter if Toronto wants to keep shuffling players between the big club and the Marlies. For a team that has been watching its depth decisions closely, these were the last relevant RFA boxes left to check. [Read more 🡒]