Toronto Maple Leafs 2026-27 Season Preview: 3 Reasons for Hope and 2 Major Concerns

Entering last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were a team entirely devoid of an identity. Following the departure of Mitch Marner, the roster looked lost. For years, the franchise's entire identity had revolved around the Core Four, for better or worse. They were an offensively gifted group suddenly shoehorned into a dump-and-chase system by a coach who demanded defensive buy-in first, ultimately turning them into one of the slowest teams in the league.

After a campaign where everything seemed to click the year prior, the Maple Leafs simply couldn’t find their footing last season, and at times, it felt like the sky was falling. From endless injuries and off-ice strife between William Nylander and Craig Berube, to a front office floundering to save its jobs, calling the situation a "mess" feels like an understatement.

A New Era: John Chayka and Mats Sundin Take the Reins

This offseason, however, General Manager John Chayka and Mats Sundin took a ruthless, brand-new approach to rebuilding the organization. Gone is the bloated front office burdened with five Assistant General Managers. Out are long-tenured personnel like Dave Morrison, who had been with the team for nearly two decades. The days of country-club comfortability in Toronto are officially over. Despite claims from some fans and media members that the franchise is operating on a strict budget, management has completely turned over the front office and rebuilt the roster.

Now, the question remains: Did Chayka and Sundin pull the right levers? Have the Leafs turned over too much of their roster? And is betting on veteran experience, in a league historically trending younger, the right call?

With the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers owning the Maple Leafs’ next two first-round picks, getting back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs isn't just a goal; it’s an absolute necessity. But for Chayka, the ultimate hope stems from the perspective of a fan who grew up cheering for this team to get the job done. For Sundin, it’s a chance to finish the job he started on the ice, this time from the executive suite.

Here are three things Leafs fans have to look forward to, and two major reasons for hesitation ahead of opening night.

Positive: Defined Roles in a Dedicated System

One of the loudest complaints during Craig Berube’s final season in Toronto was his deployment of Auston Matthews. Over the last two years, Matthews saw his offensive production dip as Berube stubbornly deployed him on the penalty kill. Taking the game's best even-strength goal scorer away from advantageous offensive-zone starts, while actively decreasing those starts year over year, was a glaring tactical error. With increased defensive burdens came fewer opportunities to contribute offensively, stalling the Leafs where they needed help most.

This season, the Maple Leafs have finally built out a clearly defined bottom six. The new crop of defensively responsible forwards is led by Colton Sissons, Nick Paul, Brandon Duhaime, and Teddy Blueger. Add in the gritty, physical presence of current Leafs Dakota Joshua and Steven Lorentz, and Toronto suddenly boasts a lineup with concrete roles. Alleviating the top-six stars from heavy defensive minutes will allow them to focus on what they are paid to do: score goals.

Negative: High Risk, High Reward in Goal

When last season ended, goaltending actually seemed like the least of Toronto's worries. Even after a difficult year, the Leafs had Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz, and Dennis Hildeby locked up on NHL contracts. There were even whispers of the team running a three-goalie system to start the year. Fast forward a few weeks, and the new management group has shipped both Woll and Hildeby out of town in separate blockbusters.

Instead, the Maple Leafs made a massive splash in free agency, signing Sergei Bobrovsky. If we were to rewind 12 months, adding Bobrovsky would mean acquiring one of the best netminders on the planet. However, he struggled mightily last season, posting one of the worst statistical campaigns of his career in Florida. Behind him is Anthony Stolarz, who was only healthy enough to suit up for 26 games last year. If things go off the rails in the crease, the Leafs will be forced to thrust last year’s Calder Cup MVP, Artur Akhtyamov, directly into the NHL spotlight.

This is undeniably one of the biggest threats to the team's success. However, if last year was simply a blip caused by the Panthers' overall struggles, this could be a massive bounce-back opportunity for one of the most physically prepared goalies in the league.

Positive: Major Improvements on Defense

Dating back to the NHL Lockout, it feels like the Toronto Maple Leafs have been endlessly chasing a true top-pairing defenseman. In one of his very first moves as GM, John Chayka acquired Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and immediately made the team better. Raddysh brings elite puck-moving ability (a historical weak point for Toronto) and arguably the most dangerous powerplay shot in the league outside of Alex Ovechkin.

Raddysh’s arrival should be a massive benefit for both Matthews and Nylander, opening up the ice as opposing forwards hesitate to step in front of his 95+ mph slap shot. Alongside Raddysh comes the addition of Emil Andrae, injecting youth, mobility, and the flexibility to play both the left and right sides.

While questions remain regarding Morgan Rielly’s availability, the Leafs are entering this season with their most complete defensive core in recent memory. By improving their puck movement, Toronto should be able to execute a much more lethal transition offense.

Negative: Injuries and Health Remain a Concern

The biggest blow to the Maple Leafs last season was undoubtedly the loss of Chris Tanev. Since being signed by Brad Treliving, Tanev has been the absolute anchor of the backend. While he is expected to return to that shutdown role this season, multiple injuries limited him to just 11 games last year. In those 11 games? The Leafs posted a 6-3-2 record, perfectly illustrating his value to the lineup.

Beyond Tanev, the Leafs also lost Matthews to a significant knee injury following a brutal knee-on-knee collision with Radko Gudas. Serious questions remain about Matthews’ overall health and whether his surgically repaired knee, and other lingering ailments, have fully healed. Add in the lower-body injuries that Matthew Knies battled all last season and Stolarz's durability issues, and the overall health of this roster is a flashing red light.

While the Marlies have a ton of forward depth ready to make the jump, the defensive depth chart gets thin quickly. If the injury bug bites again, Chayka and Sundin will have to act fast to keep the ship afloat.

Positive: The Arrival of Gavin McKenna

While some fans are trying to pump the brakes on the hype surrounding Gavin McKenna, the one person who isn’t slowing down is McKenna himself. Since being drafted by Toronto, the elite prospect has done and said all the right things. He’s made it abundantly clear that he is thrilled to join a competitive roster rather than a rebuilding one, fueled by a relentless hatred for losing.

McKenna had a slow start in the NCAA, but still managed to post incredibly impressive numbers by the end of his campaign. He brings elite passing ability and is fully expected to slot alongside Matthews and Knies in a primary distributor role. Following the loss of Marner, the Leafs desperately needed a player with elite vision to feed the puck to Matthews, and McKenna fits that exact profile.

There are no guarantees in today's NHL, and making the playoffs in an ultra-competitive Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference will be a dogfight. But one thing is for certain: this iteration of the Toronto Maple Leafs is going to be incredibly fascinating to watch.

So, what do you think? Did Chayka make the right moves, and will the Maple Leafs punch their ticket to the playoffs next season?