The Toronto Maple Leafs placed three players on waivers ahead of their preseason clash against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Travis Boyd, Vinni Lettieri, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx were among the 20 players who were placed on waivers today, with all three of them set to report to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies should they clear. The trio were among a group of depth players the Leafs signed to league minimum contracts during free agent frenzy, to provide insurance up front and veteran leadership for the prospects in the AHL.
Boyd is in his second stint with the Leafs after previously playing parts of the 2021 COVID-shortened campaign. He is coming off a season with the Minnesota Wild where he went scoreless in three games. Groulx had spent parts of seven seasons in the Anaheim Ducks’ organization, with the prior year seeing him record two assists in 45 games played. Lettieri played parts of last season with the Boston Bruins, appearing in 26 games with the team and recording five points (three goals and two assists).
Regardless of whether these three clear waivers, these are among the latest roster cuts as the Leafs begin to trim their roster down in preparation for the upcoming regular season.
Preseason Roster vs. Montreal
Speaking of preparations for the forthcoming campaign, Saturday night will mark the Leafs’ fourth of six preseason contests, where they will host the Canadiens.
Judging by the roster released by the Leafs, Max Domi is expected to centre the second line with Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson on his wings as Auston Matthews will be getting the night off for rest. John Tavares will lead the first line alongside Calle Jarnkrok and William Nylander. Jarnkrok ripped a puck in practice and shattered the glass during line rushes, forcing attendants to repair the panel as the session continued for Saturday’s game group.
Nicolas Roy will centre the third line with Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli on the wings, which could be Toronto’s opening night third line as well. Meanwhile the defence is nearly identical to what was used last season, with the lone exception being Matt Benning instead of Simon Benoit, who skated with the team but was in a non-contact jersey at the morning skate. Anthony Stolarz is slated for his first preseason start and will likely play the entire contest.
Maple Leafs’ projected lineup vs. Canadiens
Forwards
Calle Jarnkrok-John Tavares-William Nylander
Matthew Knies-Max Domi-Nick Robertson
Dakota Joshua-Nicolas Roy-Matias Maccelli
Michael Pezzetta-Jacob Quillan-Borya Valis
Defence
Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo
Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Matt Benning
Goalies
Anthony Stolarz
Artur Akhtyamov
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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube stressed a need for his team to get back to playing the style of hockey they did in 2024-25 after a 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Leafs underwent a clear system switch when they moved on from Sheldon Keefe to Craig Berube. The team was strong defensively and physical on the forecheck, and it paid off for them. They won 52 games and took the Atlantic Division title for the first time in the Auston Matthews era, even if it meant taking a step back in most of the offensive categories.
With two wins and two losses through four preseason games so far, Berube stressed a need to get back to the things that made them successful last season before the current one gets underway.
“We want to look like we did last year,” Berube told reporters following the loss. “We’re a direct team, we want to play good defence, we want to check, make sure we’re defensively sound, give our goalies good looks to make saves.”
Defence and physicality are two pillars of a Berube-run hockey team, but that doesn’t mean they’re skimping out on their efforts on the other side of the puck.
“Offensively, we want to be direct,” Berube continued. “We want to get to shoot pucks, we want to get to the net, score some dirty looks. I don’t see a whole lot changing. I think we are still lacking playing direct through the neutral zone, getting behind people to go to work. You gotta keep working on that, we’ve been working on it in practice.
Saturday night’s affair featured all of the team’s top forwards not named Auston Matthews, and a look at what could very well end up being the Maple Leafs’ third line to start the season. Nicolas Roy took the draws and had Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli riding shotgun. Berube said overall he was happy with the effort from the line but acknowledged that
“I thought that line possessed a lot of pucks in the offensive zone, heavy on it. I think, you know, it’s a long week, our guys are probably a little gassed and need a day off.”
The Maple Leafs will have a lengthy break before they close out the preseason with a home-and-home against the Detroit Red Wings. They’ll be back home on Thursday and hit the road on Saturday before opening the season on October 8 against the Canadiens.
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Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka is headed back to juniors for another season.
On Sunday, the team announced that Holinka has been assigned to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings after participating in Leafs training camp. He did not make a preseason appearance.
Holinka was selected by the Maple Leafs in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL entry draft. Originally from Kromeriz, Czechia, he first played in his home country before joining the Oil Kings last season. In his debut North American season, he had 19 goals and 45 points in 47 games with Edmonton. He’ll look to keep building on that offensive production in returning to juniors again this year.
In August, Holinka landed eighth on The Leafs Nation’s 2025 summer prospect rankings. At the time, he was expected to be starting the year with the Marlies, after proving what he can do in juniors. But there were also concerns about what kind of ice time he would earn in the pros and if it may hamper his development. Ultimately, it looks like the Maple Leafs have opted to give him more time in the WHL to make sure he’s fully ready to make a run at the AHL down the line. In all likelihood, we’ll see him suit up for the Marlies at the end of the year when the Oil Kings season is done.
In his own Maple Leafs prospect review, The Nation Network’s Steven Ellis wrote the following about Holinka:
While he won’t be appearing at Coca-Cola Coliseum just yet, it’s only a matter of time before the 19-year-old prospect finds himself in a Marlies jersey. In the meantime, he’ll keep looking to improve in the WHL. Working with a Czechia-born development coach in Ladislav Smid, the Oil Kings may be just the right environment to push his game to the next level.
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James Reimer is soaking it all in after returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs on a professional tryout contract (PTO).
Reimer inked the PTO on Friday amid uncertainty about how long Joseph Woll would be away from the team, and with Dennis Hildeby being the only other goalie with NHL experience under contract beyond Woll and Anthony Stolarz. Reimer’s presence provides some insurance in the crease as the third-stringer who has settled into that role in the latter stages of his career.
While he knows that nothing is guaranteed in terms of a permanent contract, he is enjoying every moment of his second stint in Toronto.
“I haven’t had that much fun in a long time, and it’s been a special experience to be back here,” he said to reporters after his first practice on Saturday. “A lot of memories and a lot of good emotions. I’m really enjoying the moment and enjoying being back as well.”
While there was a moment at the start of the offseason where Reimer felt content with his career, it became clear in his mind early on that he still loved the game and still wanted to compete. He said that talks between his agent and GM Brad Treliving began earlier this week regarding his needs and a potential fit. When it became clear that a reunion was becoming a reality, the excitement among him, his friends, and family grew rapidly at the thought of going back to where his NHL career started.
The experience has not only made him appreciate all that has happened in his career thus far, but also given him another chance to experience being in a city that has meant a great deal to him.
“It’s a special city. It’s the greatest game on earth, and the greatest city to play the game,” he said. “I got so many good memories. I’m sure there were some bad memories there. I don’t remember any of them, I’m sure nobody does either.”
While it is far from a sure thing that Reimer will be getting a contract for the season, he knows the only thing he can focus on is doing his best and letting the rest take care of itself. It helps that he has plenty of experience under his belt and has the wisdom to know how to adapt to the changing landscape of the game.
One thing that will be changing is the number on the back of his jersey, as his original #34 is now being used by captain Auston Matthews.
“We had a little bit of a tussle and we kind of figured that Monday at practice, we’ll have a bout at centre and the winner takes the number,” he laughed.
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