The Maple Leafs spent much of this decade doing damage on the power play. With Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander all stacked on the top unit, Toronto lived near the top of the league with the extra man and even reached No. 1 in 2021-22.
That changed last season. The Leafs slid outside the top 10 and finished 15th at 21.3%. At one point early in the year, they were sitting among the bottom five in power-play efficiency, a sharp drop from what had become standard operating procedure in Toronto.
A big reason for that dip was the loss of Marner. He was the engine of the group, the one dictating the flow with his vision and passing.
Toronto leaned on him to make the tricky play - the quick seam pass, the smart puck battle along the boards, the fake shot or fake pass that could freeze defenders. Without that kind of presence, the unit looked out of sync early before settling in somewhat later on.
Now the Leafs believe they have a replacement for that missing piece in No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna. He brings the kind of hockey sense and creativity that fits the role Marner once filled, and the expectation is that he slides right onto the top unit. If that happens, Toronto could get back to the kind of power-play production it enjoyed for most of the decade.
There’s another reason for optimism, too. Craig Berube is no longer behind the bench, and Jim Hiller is in as the new head coach.
That shift should open things up offensively, which matters a lot when the Leafs are trying to punish teams with the man advantage. Hiller also knows Matthews and the rest of the group from his previous time with the club as an assistant coach, so he should have a clear sense of how to put them in the best spots.
Put it all together, and Toronto has a real chance to look dangerous again on the power play in 2026-27. With McKenna in the middle of it, the Leafs may end up being even more threatening than they were before.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Are Betting Big On One Risky Scott Laughton Fix
Scott Laughtons departure left Toronto with a familiar kind of offseason problem: a useful, versatile forward who did a lot of little things well, and no obvious one-for-one answer to replace him. Rather than chase a single clone, the Maple Leafs spread those responsibilities across a handful of new additions, betting that a deeper, more balanced group can recreate the defensive value Laughton brought while keeping the lineup flexible.
The real question is whether that patchwork solution can supply enough offense to make the tradeoff worthwhile. Toronto is counting on stronger play without the puck from the new group, but the scoring burden is uneven, with one player carrying most of the upside and the others projecting more as limited finishers. It is a reasonable plan on paper, but it also leaves the Leafs waiting to see whether committee chemistry can cover for the missing individual spark. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Brutal Max Domi Cap Dilemma
Max Domis injury has put the Maple Leafs in an awkward spot before camp, with the club weighing whether to park him on long-term injured reserve for temporary salary-cap relief or explore a more permanent solution. LTIR would help Toronto get through the short term, but it also comes with a catch if Domi is able to return later, while a trade would clear the books more cleanly and give the team a better sense of where it stands.
The problem is that moving him is not simple, especially for a team already trying to squeeze every dollar out of its roster plan. Any deal would likely come at a cost, and Toronto would have to decide whether the price of doing business is worth the cap flexibility it gains. For a club that has spent plenty of time living on the margin, this is the kind of decision that can shape more than just the opening weeks of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Another No. 1 Pick Just Sent A Message To Gavin McKenna
Matthew Schaefer has only just finished his own ascent to the top of the draft board, but he is already offering a bit of perspective to the next player in line. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Calder Trophy winner recently spoke to Gavin McKenna as the 2026 No. 1 pick gets ready for his first NHL season, urging him to enjoy the moment, stay confident and keep developing with the teammates and coaches around him.
For Toronto fans, there is an added layer to the conversation, since McKennas arrival carries the weight that comes with playing in his hometown hockey market. Schaefers message was simple enough, but the timing makes it more interesting: the two top picks are set to see each other early in the season, giving both young stars a quick chance to measure where they stand and how far they still have to go. [Read more 🡒]