The Maple Leafs’ 2026-27 opening night picture already looks a lot different, and the biggest question now is simple: who actually fits once the lineup is set?
After a summer packed with changes, Toronto is trying to reshape itself back into playoff contention. John Chayka has spent the offseason turning over the organization through hirings, firings, trades, signings, and draft picks. The result is a roster with a very different feel than the one the Leafs rolled out last year.
Among the new faces are Sergei Bobrovsky, Gavin McKenna, Colton Sissons, and Nick Paul, while Jim Hiller has replaced Craig Berube behind the bench. The vibe around the team is noticeably different now, and there’s more hope in the building than there was a few months ago.
One projected opening-night lineup has McKenna skating with Auston Matthews and William Nylander, a setup that would give Matthews a true playmaker and put the youngster in a spotlight role. Nylander’s speed would also give McKenna a dangerous outlet on stretch passes, while Matthews would no longer have to carry quite as much of the scoring load.
The second line would keep John Tavares in his familiar role, but with Matthew Knies and Easton Cowan beside him. That trio would bring more balance.
Tavares can finish and distribute, Cowan can handle the playmaking, and Knies adds another real scoring threat. It also gives Toronto a line with plenty of bite, since all three can work the boards and play physically.
The bottom six is where the overhaul really shows. Paul, Sissons, and Jack Roslovic are all new additions, with Paul and Sissons expected to bring penalty-killing value, defensive reliability, and help on faceoffs. Roslovic adds a different kind of threat as another player who could score 20 goals.
Trevor Blueger and Dakota Joshua also join the mix, and Blueger already has history with Joshua from Vancouver, which gives Toronto at least some built-in chemistry. Jonathon Duhaime rounds out that group as a physical spark plug who can swing momentum with his style.
On defense, the projected pairs would put Dakota Raddysh next to Jake McCabe on the top unit, with McCabe stepping into the role of Toronto’s main shutdown defender. Morgan Rielly would slide into a second-pair job with Chris Tanev, giving him a little less responsibility and more room to contribute offensively, though the Leafs still need Tanev to stay healthy.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson would land on the third pair with Troy Andrae, who arrived in Toronto in the Joseph Woll trade. Andrae is expected to bring mobility, physicality, and puck movement to a blue line that needs more of all three.
The concern, of course, is whether this group can stay on the ice and avoid the kind of breakdowns that have hurt Toronto before. The article points to those old habits of getting trapped in its own zone, failing to clear the puck, and allowing too many dangerous chances.
In goal, Bobrovsky is projected to take over as the starter with Anthony Stolarz backing him up. That comes with obvious questions. Bobrovsky is approaching 38 and is coming off a down season that included the worst save percentage of his career, while Stolarz has dealt with several injuries over the last two seasons.
If the health holds and the top-end players perform at the level they’ve shown before, Toronto should have a chance to handle a difficult Atlantic Division. But that answer won’t come until the puck drops on Sept. 29.
In Other News...
Matthew Knies Deal Already Looks Better For The Leafs
Matthew Knies long-term deal with the Maple Leafs was signed with the usual mix of hope and risk that comes with paying for upside before it has fully matured. Toronto committed six years at a $7.75 million average annual value in 2025, betting that Knies would keep trending into a key top-six piece and that the price would look sensible as the salary cap and comparable contracts kept moving. At the time, it was a notable investment in a player still building his full resume.
Now the market around other young forwards is starting to make that number look even more reasonable. Cutter Gauthier, a restricted free agent with the Anaheim Ducks, is reportedly in negotiations that could land in the $15-17 million AAV range, with Leo Carlssons recent $18 million AAV extension hanging over those talks as a reference point. Knies and Gauthier are different players in different situations, but the broader takeaway for Toronto is hard to miss: a contract that once looked ambitious can start to feel sharp if the next wave of comparables keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Camp Could Get Complicated Thanks To Two Overlooked Names
Training camp usually starts with the obvious names, the players everyone assumes are already locked in or fighting for the last few spots, but Bo Groulx and Marshall Rifai are the kinds of depth pieces who can quietly make things interesting for the Maple Leafs. Groulx brought good energy and solid play with the Marlies, and he even got a brief look with Toronto last season, which at least puts him on the radar when camp opens.
Rifai is the other name worth tracking because his game is built around physicality and defense, the sort of profile that can stand out if the new coaching staff wants a different look from its bottom-end options. Neither player is a favorite to break through, and neither comes with any guarantee, but both have enough going for them to keep this camp from being as straightforward as it first appears. [Read more 🡒]