Maple Leafs News & Rumours: McKenna, Depth & Goaltending Could Decide the Season – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs enter this season in a rather unusual position. A year ago, the team looked like it was heading in the wrong direction, and then winning the draft lottery changed almost everything. Suddenly, Toronto had Gavin McKenna, a new general manager in John Chayka, and a reason to believe this team couldn’t simply wait for the future. With Auston Matthews still under contract and the Maple Leafs not controlling their first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, the time to compete is now.

That puts some pressure on this roster. The top end is pretty easy to like; the defence may be better than people expect, and the goaltending comes with a very large question mark. But perhaps the biggest question of all is whether head coach Jim Hiller can get this group to play in a style that fits its strengths.

The Maple Leafs Have Plenty of Talent. Do They Have Enough Depth?

The top of Toronto’s lineup is pretty impressive. If the Maple Leafs put Gavin McKenna alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, it could be one of the most interesting things to watch all season. McKenna is only 18, and there will be an adjustment period. But his playmaking ability could give Matthews another player who can find him in dangerous areas. Knies, meanwhile, gives that line some size and power.

The second line isn’t bad either. Easton Cowan, John Tavares and William Nylander give Toronto another combination of skill, experience and offensive creativity. Tavares may not be the fastest player anymore, but he remains an important part of the lineup and has shown that he can carry the scoring load when Matthews isn’t available.

Is the Maple Leafs’ Depth as Good as Fans Think?

There has been a lot of talk that the Maple Leafs have improved their depth, but could there be a problem beyond the top six? Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime are all reasonable NHL players. The question is whether they make Toronto a better team or simply change the bottom six. The Maple Leafs don’t necessarily need their fourth line to provide much offence. But they do need the bottom six to survive when injuries hit.

That’s where Cowan becomes particularly important. If Roslovic ends up taking significant minutes away from Cowan, the team could be sacrificing some of its future for a player who may not provide that much more right now. Toronto needs its young players to become part of the solution, not simply wait for their opportunity.

Could the Maple Leafs Defence Be Better than Fans Believe?

The defence might actually be the more encouraging part of the roster. Darren Raddysh gives Toronto another offensive weapon from the back end, while Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev provide some of the defensive reliability the team needs.

Morgan Rielly remains an important puck-moving defenceman, even if his defensive game has always been a concern. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is steady, and Emil Andrae could turn into a very interesting player if he gets enough opportunity. Could William Villeneuve be part of the Maple Leafs’ defensive depth, and could he become an unexpected answer to the team’s blue-line problem?

The Maple Leafs Goaltending Is Harder to Predict

Sergei Bobrovsky has the playoff résumé, while Anthony Stolarz has already shown he can be an excellent goaltender when healthy. Toronto doesn’t need Bobrovsky to be the old Bobrovsky. It needs the two goalies to give the team a dependable 1A/1B situation.

That’s a pretty big ask. Bobrovsky will turn 38 on Sept. 20, before the 2026-27 season begins, and Stolarz has had trouble staying healthy for a full season. So the challenge isn’t really figuring out which goalie is better. It’s figuring out whether the two of them can stay healthy, play well enough, and give Jim Hiller the kind of consistency a team needs over 82 games.

If Bobrovsky can still give Toronto stretches of the goaltending that made him a Stanley Cup winner, while Stolarz provides the athleticism and reliability he has shown when healthy, the Leafs could have a pretty good tandem. But there isn’t much room for one of them to struggle badly or spend a long stretch on the injured list.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The interesting thing about this Toronto team is that there are reasons to believe it could be considerably better without being obviously better on paper. McKenna could add another dimension to the top line. Cowan could take a significant step. The defence could be deeper than expected. If Bobrovsky and Stolarz stay healthy, the goaltending might work.

But the biggest change could be behind the bench. If Hiller can improve Toronto’s possession game while still allowing Matthews, Nylander and the other skilled forwards to create, the Leafs could look very different from the team we saw last season.

That’s the bet Toronto is making. After winning the lottery and adding McKenna, there really isn’t much time left for another rebuilding season. The Maple Leafs need to start showing what all this change was supposed to accomplish.