The Maple Leafs are getting healthier in the places that matter most, and that’s starting to show up on the scoreboard. After dropping three straight, Toronto has strung together two wins, capped by Tuesday’s 6-2 rout of Columbus, and now turns to Thursday night’s meeting with the New York Rangers with a little more belief and a few more answers.
The biggest one lately has come from the bottom six. Colton Sissons is beginning to look like the kind of add Toronto expected when general manager John Chayka signed him to a two-year, $8.5 million deal on July 1. The number raised eyebrows at the time, especially for a player who had come off an 11-point season with the Vegas Golden Knights, but the early returns are hard to ignore.
Through 11 games, Sissons has five points, leads Toronto with a 63.2 percent faceoff success rate and has piled up a team-high 26 hits. He’s also been part of a penalty kill that has been downright stingy, helping the Maple Leafs allow just one goal on 38 shorthanded chances. His assist on William Nylander’s goal against Columbus pushed his point streak to four games.
The offense is nice. The quieter work may be even more valuable.
Sissons, Nick Paul and Teddy Blueger give Toronto a sturdier foundation in the kinds of moments that swing games - late defensive-zone draws, protecting a lead, and killing penalties. Those are the shifts that don’t always make the highlight reel, but they’re the shifts that keep a game under control.
That balance also helps Auston Matthews. With more dependable support behind him, Toronto’s top scorers don’t have to carry quite as much of the defensive load. Matthews has responded with 18 points in 11 games, and early on, Chayka’s push toward a more balanced roster is looking like it’s paying off.
Toronto’s special teams, in particular, have been a major boost. The Maple Leafs are operating at a league-leading 97.4 percent on the penalty kill through their first 11 games.
They blanked all six Columbus power plays on Tuesday, and Easton Cowan added a shorthanded goal for good measure. Head coach Jim Hiller has pointed to assistant coach John Gruden’s work on the penalty kill, along with the players’ execution and timely goaltending, as the key ingredients.
Now comes another exam for that unit, and it arrives against a Rangers team with a split personality. New York beat Anaheim 5-2 on Monday to improve to 6-0-0 at home, its best start at Madison Square Garden since 1990-91. Away from home, though, the Rangers are 1-3-1 and have managed just two goals in their last three road games.
That contrast has become even more noticeable with star goaltender Igor Shesterkin out for the season. The Rangers have scored 15 goals over their last three home games since his season-ending knee injury, but their road attack has been far less dangerous, and the goaltending depth has been tested. Rookie Dylan Garand is expected to make his sixth straight start after stopping 29 of 31 shots against Anaheim.
Toronto has a chance to press that weakness after lighting up Columbus for six goals. The Maple Leafs may also get Jake McCabe back after he left Tuesday’s game with a facial injury, especially with Chris Tanev still out with an upper-body injury.
Thursday night offers Toronto a chance to stack another good performance on top of the last two. If the Maple Leafs keep winning the little battles, stay disciplined and get another strong night from their special teams, they’ll have a shot at making it three straight.
In Other News...
Easton Cowans Breakout Just Made A Leafs Decision Much Harder
Easton Cowan has spent the early part of the season doing more than just flashing promise, and that has quietly changed the conversation around him. Through 11 games, he has piled up 10 points while giving the Leafs real value away from the puck, too, with a growing role on the penalty kill and strong underlying numbers at 5-on-5.
The most encouraging part for Toronto is how complete the impact has been. Cowan has already shown he can help in transition, create offense and disrupt plays defensively, which is why his rise now feels bigger than a hot start. He is still a restricted free agent in 2028-29, but if this level holds, the next Leafs decision on him is only going to get more expensive. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Get An Early Boost That Could Change Everything Up Front
The trade chatter around the league is starting to pick up, and that always puts Toronto on alert for what might shake loose up front. With names like Connor Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin and several Pittsburgh veterans already in the rumor mill, the market has a way of forcing contenders and buyers to adjust quickly, especially when a club like Vancouver is looking more like a seller than a team ready to stand pat.
One of the more interesting situations to watch is Jake DeBrusk, who may need to decide whether to signal any openness to movement before his no-movement protection gets tighter. At the same time, Edmonton is getting Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back from injury, a return that should matter both in five-on-five usage and on the power play, and those kinds of lineup boosts can ripple through the trade picture faster than anyone expects. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Just Got Another Intriguing Option For More Size Up Front
Torontos search for more heft up front has put another name on the board, and this one fits the profile the Maple Leafs have been chasing. Dmitri Voronkov has drawn interest from Toronto as the Blue Jackets consider their options, giving the Leafs a potential swing at a winger whose game is built around size, physicality and enough offensive touch to help a middle-six role.
The 26-year-old has been productive over the past three seasons, averaging 19 goals and 19 assists, and he is still under team control beyond this year as a restricted free agent. For the Leafs, the appeal is obvious: a big body who can change the look of a forward group. The question is whether Columbus decides the right move is to keep shopping, and whether Toronto is willing to push hard enough to make the fit work. [Read more 🡒]