Now that we are in the middle of August, which is the last official month without any NHL hockey, we are just over a month away from the start of NHL training camps. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, this season has a lot of eyes on them after the offseason that they have had. This offseason saw the departure of Mitch Marner, who left in a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, as well as general manager Brad Treliving adding more players that fit his own style of play to the roster. There are still a ton of questions, unfortunately most won’t be answered until the season actually starts. However, there are a few questions that will need the entirety of the season to be answered, so let’s look at three of the biggest Maple Leafs storylines to follow in the 2025-26 NHL season.
Can Stolarz & Woll Repeat Last Season’s Success?
First up, a question that has haunted the Maple Leafs for the past 20 years. Can their goaltending tandem repeat the same success that they had last season? Both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll played well above expectations last season. Stolarz had a 21-8-3 record in 34 games played with a .926 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.14 goals against average (GAA). As for Woll, he had a 27-14-1 record in 42 games played with a .909 SV% and a 2.73 GAA. On an NHL level, Woll ranked tied at 14th in the league in wins, 13th in SV%, and 25th in GAA. Stolarz ranked 30th in wins, first in SV%, and third in GAA. This made them one of, if not the best tandem goalies in the NHL last season.
The Maple Leafs, in terms of team goalie stats, ranked second in wins with 52, third in SV% with .912, and eighth in GAA with a 2.79. However, of those teams in and around them in the ranks, most of them had a main starter that played the majority of games. The Maple Leafs had a shared crease and saw a ton of success with that setup. If they can carry that forward to next season and rank within the top five to 10 in record, GAA, and SV% amongst NHL teams, then Toronto is bound to have success. However, if they do not, and they rank within the 18-25 range in the league, it will be extremely hard for them to carry forward the success that they had last season.
Can Morgan Rielly Have a Bounce-Back Season?
Aside from the aforementioned Marner, Morgan Rielly had to be the most scrutinized player on the Maple Leafs. Since his Norris-trophy caliber season back in 2018-19, he has not been all that great, but he has not been awful in terms of point production. In the last three seasons, he has scored 41 points in 2022-23, 58 points in 2023-24, and 41 last season. The best part of Rielly’s game is how he is able to turn it up when the playoffs come. Unfortunately, after the season he had last season and with the salary that he makes, there have been many conversations about the potential of moving on from him. But that could all be thrown out the window if he has a bounce-back season and scores 55-60+ points, which is possible.
If you look back at the majority of Rielly’s career, he has not had a consistent partner. But after the move that Treliving made to bring in Brandon Carlo at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, he now has one. When Carlo was brought in and paired with Rielly, you could see how much easier he was breathing. He now has a true stay-at-home defenseman who is going to be paired with him for most of the 82-game season, barring any injuries or trades. That could drastically improve his season and his point production. Along with the potential of getting another look at the top power-play unit with the departure of Marner, he could be on pace for a 55+ point season.
Can the Maple Leafs Succeed Without Marner?
The last storyline to follow is definitely the biggest: can the Maple Leafs succeed without Marner on their roster? This is going to be the storyline followed very closely over the course of the season and widely discussed. If Auston Matthews starts slow, it will be the main talking point that he is without the player who set him up for the last nine seasons. However, if he has a hot start and the team does well, then fans may say Marner was the reason they were being held back. Regardless, this will need a full 82-game season to determine whether they can find success without him.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Top-Six Forward Trade Targets: Bryan Rust
If they fail to make the playoffs, then we have our answer. If they make the playoffs and are eliminated within the first or second round like in past years, then even without Marner there is a problem with this team and the core. But if they make the playoffs and go on a long run, then we know that having too many stars that aren’t willing to adapt to playoff hockey could have been the reason. Furthermore, it may also be because they decided to spend the $10+ million saved by Marner leaving on a number of players rather than just one player to replace him on the top line. After looking around the league, many teams that have success, Edmonton Oilers aside, tend to have their own internal cap and more money spread throughout the roster rather than just between four or five players. If that approach works this season, Treliving will likely carry it forward into future seasons with the salary cap continuing to rise.
There are a few other storylines that deserve attention, like will Easton Cowan make the opening night roster, can this defense core play as well as they did last season, or will Treliving look to add another top-six forward before the Christmas break. But they are not nearly as big as the ones listed above. These ones that are talked about can truly make or break a season. Make sure you follow along as myself and the other Maple Leafs writers at The Hockey Writers cover their 2025-26 season and provide in-depth analysis on how they perform over the 82-game season.
