The Toronto Maple Leafs opened their preseason with a split-squad set against the Montreal Canadiens, and even with both games ending in losses, the 4-1 defeat in one of them gave the team plenty to chew on.
By the time Saturday was done, a few of the biggest early questions had already been answered.
Auston Matthews was the first one to quiet the noise. There had been plenty of concern about his health, but he wasted little time looking like himself again.
Matthews drove the puck coast to coast for a chance, and the effort stood out as much as the burst. He also hit over 35 KPH, something he managed only twice last season.
He did not score, but he kept building as the game went on. Matthews picked up several shots on goal and set up Toronto’s lone goal of the night. For a player who seemed freer on the ice, it looked like moving away from Craig Berube’s system may have already paid off.
That goal came off the stick of Darren Raddysh, who also gave the Leafs a much-needed jolt of certainty. There were questions about how his game would translate in Toronto, but he answered them with one heavy shot. Raddysh buried the team’s only goal with a blast that broke the Canadiens defender’s stick, then deflected off another player and into the net.
The shot alone made a strong case for why John Chayka was so high on him. Raddysh did have a rough edge to his night - he took a first-period penalty and had a few defensive hiccups - but for a first preseason game, that’s hardly reason to panic. If the Leafs are getting that kind of shot along with passable defense, they’ve got a useful blue-line piece.
Gavin McKenna also gave Toronto fans something to lock onto. The 18-year-old showed off the kind of playmaking that has people excited about his future, stringing together a few slick moves and looking right at home.
He nearly scored on his third NHL shift, and later set up a look that could have given John Tavares his first goal of the preseason. The play left Canadiens defenders chasing shadows, though McKenna ended up taking a penalty on the sequence.
Even without a win, the early read on McKenna was clear: he didn’t look overwhelmed, he didn’t look slow, and he didn’t look out of place. If he keeps moving like that, the points should come soon enough.
So while the final scores were disappointing, Saturday still gave the Maple Leafs something better than a result - it gave them some answers.
In Other News...
Gavin McKennas First Leafs Game Is Raising An Immediate Concern
Gavin McKenna is about to get his first preseason look with the Maple Leafs, and the early conversation around him has already moved beyond his skating and skill. The detail drawing attention is his listed weight, which comes in about 10 pounds below what was recorded at the NHL Draft Combine, a shift fans noticed right away as they started circling his first game in blue and white.
For Toronto, the question is less about a number on a chart and more about how his frame plays in actual NHL competition. The league has plenty of examples of smaller players finding success by leaning on pace, balance and quick decision-making, and McKenna fits that broader discussion as he begins his Leafs preseason path. There is no official sign of any health issue, but the size talk is going to follow him until he shows what he can do on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fringe Forward Made An Early Statement In Montreal
Michael Pezzetta wasted little time making his presence felt in Montreal while skating with the Maple Leafs B-team in a game filled with fringe players and prospects. In the kind of preseason setting where jobs are being sorted out one shift at a time, he dropped the gloves with Canadiens forward Lucas Condotta and was ejected shortly after, a reminder that these games can still carry plenty of bite even without the regulars on the ice elsewhere.
The moment fit the tone of a roster battle more than a tune-up, with every involved player trying to leave an impression before camp decisions get tougher. Pezzettas early exit came before teammate Teddy Blueger also fought in the same game, adding another layer of edge to a matchup that had already turned physical and given the Leafs another bit of evidence about who is willing to make noise in a depth role. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Fans Should Be Watching This Dakota Joshua Situation Closely
Dakota Joshua was not in the Maple Leafs lineup for their preseason game against Montreal, and the absence stood out because there was no reported injury attached to it. For a player who came to Toronto in last seasons trade and delivered a respectable first year while also missing time with an injury, any missed appearance in September tends to get noticed quickly around a team still sorting out its roster and salary structure.
Joshuas situation is worth keeping an eye on because it sits at the intersection of on-ice value and cap management, two things the Maple Leafs have to weigh carefully every year. There has already been speculation that he could end up on waivers as a way to open up space, but for now there has been no official confirmation, leaving the door open to a range of possibilities as Toronto makes its final preseason decisions. [Read more 🡒]