Maple Leafs News & Analysis

The Maple Leafs prospect pool ranks 15th, up nine spots. Gavin McKenna explains most of the jump — and what the rest of the system still lacks.

Jack Roslovic is the Maple Leafs’ riskiest bet of the summer: $4M for a streaky 29-year-old in a job Gavin McKenna needs to have.

Which Maple Leafs training camp roster spots are actually open? Two top-six wings, the 3C job, a third pair — and a cap crunch up front.

The Gavin McKenna Calder Trophy chase starts in October. He put the playoffs first — and his Penn State numbers say what kind of rookie season to expect.

Maple Leafs roster age is the quiet story of Chayka's first summer: why Toronto bridged with veterans, and where an 84-game schedule breaks the plan.

John Tavares is the Maple Leafs' best value contract at $4.39M. His 2026-27 role under Jim Hiller, and how the Gavin McKenna handoff lines up.

World Cup of Hockey 2028 runs in Calgary, Edmonton and Prague. Why February 2028 is the worst month for the Maple Leafs' contract structure.

Auston Matthews skating in drills at Arizona State is the first footage since March knee surgery. What it proves, and what it does not.

The Maple Leafs 2026-27 projection spans redemption story to tire fire. The variance is really Auston Matthews knee and Sergei Bobrovsky age.

The Maple Leafs prospect pool now ranks 12th in the NHL after one offseason. The problem: it has almost no natural finishers, and Toronto will need one by 2029.

The Gavin McKenna ranking landed at No. 18 on The Athletic's under-23 list of 156 players. Why that number is not the demotion it looks like.

The Gavin McKenna nine games rule decides the Leafs' fall. A tenth appearance burns the entry-level slide forever. The rule, the money, and what Toronto does.

The Kirill Marchenko trade market has gone cold, with Columbus fielding no calls since early summer. Why the Maple Leafs should wait until the deadline.

The Cutter Gauthier contract standoff — a rejected $52 million offer — resets the NHL's second-contract market and raises the price of Toronto's next deals.

Matthew Knies 30 goals is a seven-goal step, not a leap. Why it is the cleanest test of whether John Chayka built the Maple Leafs roster correctly.

The Darren Raddysh power play case rests on volume: 115 slap shots and 212 shots on goal last season. Why that, not his 22 goals, is Toronto's real upgrade.

Auston Matthews 40 goals in 2026-27? His down-year rate already projects to 37 over 84 games. Health, not scoring touch, is the real question.

Maple Leafs key dates 2026-27: prospect games in Gatineau on September 12, preseason on September 19, opening night versus Montreal on September 29.