The Toronto Maple Leafs wrapped up their preseason with a 6-1 win over the Ottawa Senators, and the final score was almost beside the point. Preseason can fool you like that. A team can pile up goals and still leave the night with more questions than answers.
This one did have some clear takeaways, though. Auston Matthews scored one of those classic Auston Matthews goals, and as the game went on, Toronto’s skaters kept looking more and more comfortable. That included Gavin McKenna, who is making it harder by the day to doubt how quickly he can handle the NHL game.
What stands out with McKenna isn’t just the talent. It’s the way he processes the ice.
Young players usually get the puck and rush to move it along, trying to avoid the kind of mistake that gets noticed. McKenna seems wired differently.
He keeps the puck, scans, waits, and then makes his move. A self-pass at centre ice drew attention, but the real story was the poise behind it.
Toronto even gave him a look alongside Matthews late in the game, which naturally opens the door to bigger questions. Could McKenna end up next to Matthews?
Could he begin with John Tavares and William Nylander? Those are conversations for later, and they come with the obvious preseason caveat that this was against an Ottawa lineup that wasn’t at full strength.
Still, McKenna has already done enough to shift the discussion. The question may no longer be whether he belongs.
It may be where the Maple Leafs should put him.
That’s a notable spot for an 18-year-old to reach before his first NHL season even begins.
And McKenna isn’t the only reason Toronto suddenly has some lineup choices to sort through. Through these preseason games, Jim Hiller has learned that he has options - and plenty of them.
Jack Roslovic adds scoring touch. Matthew Knies brings a mix of size and skill.
Then there’s the crowd fighting for bottom-six roles, where every job looks up for grabs. There aren’t many places left where someone can simply assume the spot is his.
That’s a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem. The roster only has so many minutes, and those minutes have to go somewhere.
Someone will sit. Someone will open lower in the lineup than he wants.
Someone else will get a chance because another player isn’t quite doing enough.
That’s the real handoff from preseason to the regular season: the games have given Hiller choices, and now he has to decide which combinations actually make the Maple Leafs better.
For McKenna, the bigger issue may be simpler. Toronto doesn’t need to force his path.
He’s making it tougher and tougher to argue that he isn’t ready. The job now is finding the right fit.
And when an 18-year-old is already creating that kind of conversation, it usually means something is going right.
In Other News...
Leafs Already Have An Early Regret Watching Two Ex-Forwards Shine
The preseason has already offered a reminder of what the Maple Leafs moved on from this summer. Nick Robertson, dealt to Pittsburgh, wasted little time making an impression with his new club by scoring his first goal for the Penguins, while Matias Maccelli, who left on a one-year deal with the Islanders, came out strong in his preseason debut with three points.
For Toronto, the early returns from both ex-forwards only sharpen the hindsight conversation around roster turnover and opportunity. Preseason numbers do not decide much on their own, but when players who once wore blue and white begin their new stops with immediate production, it is the kind of start that naturally invites a second look back in Toronto. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Blue Line Battle Just Got More Serious
The Maple Leafs have started trimming their roster ahead of the new NHL season, and the latest move puts a little more pressure on the back end. Toronto placed defensemen Cole McWard and Dakota Mermis on waivers as the club continues sorting out its defensive group, with several players still jockeying for depth spots.
Mermis appeared in 11 games for the Maple Leafs last season, while McWard was brought in as a free agent this summer, so both were part of the teams effort to add options to the blue line. With the lineup still being finalized, every available defense spot has become part of a wider competition, and Torontos next decisions will help clarify which players stick around for the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Suddenly Have A Familiar Depth Option To Watch
As NHL clubs begin trimming and reshaping their rosters ahead of the 2026-27 season, Carl Grundstrm is back on the waiver wire, giving Toronto a familiar name to keep in mind. The former Maple Leafs forward spent last season with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he appeared in 47 games, and his path through the league has also included stops with the Los Angeles Kings and, of course, Toronto.
For the Leafs, Grundstrms availability is the kind of depth note that can matter once the calendar turns and roster decisions start piling up. He brings a known profile, some NHL experience and a previous connection to the organization, but for now there has been no indication of a claim or signing, leaving his next landing spot to be determined as teams continue adjusting their depth charts. [Read more 🡒]