The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a different look in the 2025-26 season. The team didn’t present Pontus Holmberg with a qualifying offer, allowing him to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent. He signed a two-year agreement with the Tampa Bay Lightning. As expected, Mitch Marner won’t be back with the Maple Leafs after being involved in a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, which resulted in him getting an eight-year, $96 million contract. Even though general manager (GM) Brad Treliving was not active in free agency, he was busy before July 1 while getting John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Steven Lorentz to agree to multi-year extensions.
There wasn’t much to chase in free agency, and Treliving was wise to avoid potential landmine contracts. The Maple Leafs’ GM managed to acquire two players via trades who could be impactful additions. The club obtained Nicolas Roy in the deal with the Golden Knights for Marner and brought in Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a conditional 2027 third-round pick. The Maple Leafs made some depth signings when the market opened, landing Vinni Lettieri, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Travis Boyd, and Michael Pezzetta. There’s a chance that some of them could crack the roster out of training camp or see NHL action at some point in the upcoming campaign, but it’s probably best to think of them as signings for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Treliving remains interested in a top-six forward, and the team would benefit from collecting a depth blueliner or a top-four candidate. The projected roster should still be regarded as a work in progress.
Maple Leafs Projected Forward Lines
| Left Wing | Centre | Right Wing |
| Matthew Knies | Auston Matthews | Max Domi |
| Matias Maccelli | John Tavares | William Nylander |
| Bobby McMann | Nicolas Roy | Nicholas Robertson |
| Steven Lorentz | Scott Laughton | Calle Jarnkrok |
Auston Matthews and Knies are locked into roles on the top line, but the right-wing spot vacated by Marner is wide open. William Nylander is a justifiable option, and he would be a deserving candidate to receive the promotion. However, the team would probably be better off if Nylander stayed with Tavares on the second line to create a more balanced attack. They have delivered mixed results in the past, and there may be some fatigue with seeing them together, but it still makes the most sense, given the roster’s construction. Still, Nylander will likely see his fair share of minutes alongside Matthews and Knies at even strength and on the top power-play unit. Additionally, stacking the top line will likely be a go-to strategy in situations when the club need a goal.
Related: Maple Leafs’ 2025-26 Roster Projection 1.0: Entering the Post-Marner Era
Maccelli has spent the bulk of his playing time in the NHL as a left winger, making the second line with Tavares a solid fit. The 24-year-old Maccelli had 38 assists in 2022-23 and 40 helpers in 2023-24. His playmaking skills could make him a match for Matthews, but the same can be said for playing alongside shooters like Nylander and Tavares. Maccelli has plenty of bounce-back appeal following a disappointing performance in the 2024-25 season. An upgrade at right wing on the top line would be preferable, but moving up Max Domi makes a great deal of sense. He has been largely underwhelming offensively in two seasons with the Maple Leafs, and the team needs more out of him. The best way to accomplish that end could be to move him up to the top line. He had some success alongside Matthews down the stretch in 2023-24, putting up 11 assists and 12 points in 13 games.
Roy is a good bet to centre the third line, but he has played higher up in the lineup before and can skate on the wing if needed. The team’s lack of right-handed shooters could give him a chance at a top-line position as a winger. It wouldn’t be the ideal scenario, but he did see time alongside Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl for stretches in 2024-25 with the Golden Knights. However, pairing Roy with Bobby McMann would give the Leafs a heavy-forechecking duo that is capable of contributing offensively. Nicholas Robertson would provide the combination with an additional scoring threat, but he may end up elsewhere if he is part of a trade package.
Laughton being on the fourth line is a tough pill to swallow, given the price to acquire him from the Philadelphia Flyers. However, he was a reliable safety-valve forward for the Maple Leafs in the postseason. Lorentz was also part of that combination, and Calle Jarnkrok, who could be a trade candidate, is known for his two-way ability and would be a fitting complementary piece to join the team’s checking line. David Kampf, who was a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs, will be in the mix, too, if he remains a part of the organization. Some of the depth signings the Leafs made on July 1 could land spots in the bottom six or as healthy scratches going into the season, should trades or injuries occur.
Easton Cowan is a wild card for a roster spot, but it might be better for his development to spend some time in the AHL first. He should get a long look during training camp, though, and he could make himself a top-nine option if he has an impressive showing. The door hasn’t been closed on a potential contract for unrestricted free agent Max Pacioretty, so he may still land a spot in the lineup.
Maple Leafs Projected Defence Pairings
| Left Defender | Right Defender |
| Jake McCabe | Chris Tanev |
| Morgan Rielly | Brandon Carlo |
| Simon Benoit | Oliver Ekman-Larsson |
Unlike the uncertainty surrounding the forward lines, the defence corps stands a good chance of remaining unchanged from the top six that played in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The duo of Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev will likely continue to be leaned on in 2025-26 after becoming a dependable shutdown combination last season. The pairing of Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo had their hiccups defensively after the latter came over from the Boston Bruins. They have both been mentioned in trade rumours this offseason, but they remain the likeliest tandem for the second pair. Simon Benoit and Oliver-Ekman Larsson round out the group while providing solid depth, but the lack of high-end talent remains an issue. It’s why the Maple Leafs’ defence ranked 18th in the league (from ‘Which NHL teams need to upgrade on defense? Ranking all 32 by current quality,’ The Athletic, June 25, 2025).
All three of those pairings struggled in the postseason. While getting into lanes and blocking shots is admirable work, the blueliners lack mobility and puck-moving ability. In the second round of the playoffs, it was a major problem against the Florida Panthers. The Maple Leafs often struggled to engineer clean breakouts due to the Panthers’ forecheck. Reserve defenders like Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis won’t provide much assistance in that regard. As a result, the Maple Leafs should be on the lookout for alternatives. Barring experimentation with the combinations, the team needs more from Rielly, especially offensively. He could see a jump in production if he returns to the top power-play unit, which could happen with Marner gone. Following a full training camp, Carlo should feel more comfortable in his new surroundings. More stability from the second pairing will take some pressure off McCabe and Tanev while reducing the need to overplay them.
Maple Leafs Projected Goaltenders
| Starting Goaltender | Backup Goaltender |
| Anthony Stolarz | Joseph Woll |
While the forward lines and defence pairings have some issues that will need addressing, the team is set comfortably between the pipes. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll were superb during the 2024-25 campaign. Both netminders established personal bests in games played, starts, and wins while aiding the team in posting the third-best save percentage (fourth overall at .905) and the eighth-best goals against per game (2.79).
While it might be a bit concerning that they battled some injury issues, they performed like No. 1 goaltenders and routinely gave the team a chance to win, even when the goal-scoring was lacking. Stolarz had the superior numbers, which puts him in the driver’s seat for the starting position, but he will probably share appearances in the crease with Woll during the 2025-26 campaign.
Final Thoughts on the Maple Leafs Projected Lineup
The departure of Marner leaves a noticeable hole on the right side in the top six that needs to be filled. If a suitable trade doesn’t materialize, a variety of players could get looks. The Maple Leafs could also tweak the blue line, icing more puck movers or maintaining the same personnel while designing better zone-exit strategies.
There could be plenty of adjustments at camp if the Maple Leafs don’t make a splash on the trade front, and it helps that Treliving has some valuable cap space to weaponize. However, it probably won’t change the fact that the team will rely heavily on offensive production from Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Knies. A return to form from Matthews, who will no doubt be hoping for a much healthier season, would be the biggest difference-maker. If he returns to being a 50- or 60-goal threat in 2025-26, it would go a long way to getting the team back on track offensively. However, the roster also needs star performances from the goaltenders again to remain ahead of some up-and-coming teams in the Atlantic Division.
