The Olympic break is over, the National Hockey League trade freeze is over, and on Wednesday night, the puck will drop again as the regular season’s final two months commence.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action on Wednesday and Thursday, squaring off with both teams that call the state of Florida home. The challenge of a back-to-back right out of the gate is something that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube will have to manage, as the majority of the players haven’t played in over three weeks.
“We’re going to have to roll on here, we have a back-to-back coming out of the gate. That’ll be critical that we’ve got everybody going because we need everyone to be successful. That’s how I look at it,” Berube said. “If you look at the whole month, you are going to need everybody in your lineup to get minutes.”
William Nylander returned to the ice with the Maple Leafs for Tuesday morning’s practice after taking part in the Winter Olympics for his home country of Sweden. In five games with Team Sweden, Nylander recorded two goals and two assists. Berube was happy with what he saw from the Maple Leafs forward.
“He looks good, he’s ready to go, and he says he feels good,” Berube said. “It took a couple days to relax and rest up a bit. Getting over everything from an emotional level and the mental side of things can take a little bit of time. Obviously, the Olympics is a grind for these guys, but he’s good to go.”
With Nylander, Auston Matthews and Oliver Ekman-Larsson all taking part in the Olympics, they weren’t able to skate with the team as they prepared to reopen the NHL season. Berube knows it might be tough for these three, but with the little margin for error the Maple Leafs have given themselves, they need to get going right out of the gate.
“Obviously, those guys weren’t here for the week of practice we had. It’s tough going over there and not winning. That was their goal, and it didn’t happen. They’re grown men, they are pros, they understand it, and they’ll move on,” Berube said. “They all understand the importance of this team right now, where we’re at and what we need to do.”
Matthews was the one to claim gold, helping the United States of America win an Olympic title for the first time since 1980. In six games, Team USA’s captain recorded three goals and four assists.
“There might be some fatigue. Going back to last year, I thought there was some fatigue from players who came back from the Four Nations Faceoff,” Berube said. “He’s riding a pretty good high right now. He’s feeling good. We will evaluate him tomorrow and see where he’s at. I’ll have a better feel after I speak to him tonight.”
Going into the break, the Maple Leafs received strong play in their net from both goaltenders. This is important as both goalies will get a start with the back-to-back slated on the schedule. Berube still wasn’t sure who he’d turn to in Tampa tomorrow.
“I’m still mulling it over a little bit. I’m going to discuss it with our goalie coach and then go from there,” Berube said. “They’ve both had good success in both buildings. We need both goalies the rest of the way through.”
Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EST Wednesday evening in Tampa Bay.
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Fresh off the first major win of his professional career that saw him shed some labels and earn praise from his teammates, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews believes a lot has transpired in the three days since he captained Team USA to a gold medal win at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Matthews and the Americans partied it up both in Milan and Miami in celebration of achieving the country’s first gold in the men’s competition since 1980. They were then invited to the White House on Tuesday for a tour, luncheon, and to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking with reporters after the morning skate on Wednesday, Matthews said it hasn’t fully sunk in yet what he and the U.S. team achieved in Milan on Sunday.
“ It’s been a pretty whirlwind 72 hours, to be honest. But yeah, it was incredible,” Matthews said. “ It was an incredible experience from start to finish. Just being able to go over there and be an Olympian, represent and be in that atmosphere from the village to the games and just all the amazing things that happened over the last couple weeks. I feel very grateful to have been a part of that. Then to win a gold medal is truly very special.”
While it was a celebratory few days for Matthews and the team, some controversies arose in the wake of the United States’ victory in the men’s competition. Their visit to the White House drew criticism because of Trump’s past comments about Canada and the fact that Matthews is the captain of the country’s biggest NHL team.
Matthews didn’t want to get into the political commentary, but made it clear that he and his American teammates didn’t consider not going.
“The team that wins the Stanley Cup every year accepts the White House invitation to go,” he said. “I just think it’s something that you do because we are proud Americans. Whatever your political beliefs may be, hopefully, something like this will bring more unity to the country. For us, we believe it’s a great honour no matter who’s in office”.
The men’s team also faced heavy backlash from a viral clip of them taking a call from Trump that included remarks about the U.S. women’s team that were deemed sexist and dismissive. Matthews addressed the fallout from the phone call and expressed regret for what transpired in the locker room.
“Yeah, it was unfortunate. We love the women’s team; we support them. The night we won the gold medal, we were hanging out in the dining hall until like three or four in the morning,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that kind of occurred. We have nothing but love and respect for the women’s team and what they were able to accomplish. It’s amazing that the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams are both bringing home gold medals for the United States of America. I think that should be talked about more than the other. But we’re extremely proud of them and happy for them. We support them 100%.”
While Matthews had the option to attend the State of the Union that occurred on Tuesday night, he chose instead to rejoin the Leafs in Tampa Bay ahead of a crucial divisional clash against the Lightning. Given the adjustments back to being in North America and how important these next set of games are, Matthews knew it was best to be ready as soon as possible for the stretch drive.
When asked where he is keeping his gold medal as he has yet to return to Toronto since the Olympics concluded, Matthews said it is secure in his backpack at the team hotel.
“ I think more physical than anything. Just the jet lag, the time change, obviously the last 48 hours has been pretty crazy,” he said when asked about the quick transition. “I just try to go out there and do my best. A lot of it’s probably mental, too. But I’ll go out there. I got a good night’s rest, I’ll get a good meal in today, and just go out there and be a professional.”
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In their first game back from the Olympic break, the Toronto Maple Leafs did MLSE CEO Keith Pelley no favours following his message to season ticket holders on Wednesday when he proclaimed that the team would do whatever was necessary to contend in 2025-26. Call it a wake-up call if you wish, even if Pelley truly believes that this team was just some better injury luck away from greater fortunes this season.
The Leafs played a pretty good first period against the Tampa Bay Lightning, outshooting them 8-4 and surviving two goals against thanks to another all-star performance from their video team made up of Sam Kim and Jordan Bean, who successfully overturned both goals for being offside. In the second period, Tampa Bay opened the scoring and it took less than a minute for them to add onto their opener following a defensive breakdown by the Leafs. The Lightning entered Wednesday night’s game with a record of 26-4-1 when they score the first goal, so the Leafs had a straight uphill line of a wall to climb to salvage their chances, and it didn’t happen.
Nikita Kucherov scored to make it 3-0 in the third period, and in what has to be a new record of sorts, I missed three goals near the end of the third period over the course of a two-minute washroom break. John Tavares scored to make it 3-1, Brayden Point scored his second of the game to make it 4-1 11 seconds later, and the Leafs got one back to make it 4-2 a little over 40 seconds after that off the stick of Matthew Knies.
4-2 is where with the final score would remain, and with Maple Leafs once again being severely outshot at 5v5 by the Lightning, it didn’t help their case to remain competitive past the deadline whatsoever. In past years, the Leafs would always sleepwalk through games against bottom feeders, much to the dismay of their fanbase and coaching staff, but they routinely showed up to play against fellow contenders. Tonight’s game proved that this team is not in the same stratosphere as the Lightning, and even if they do put together a miracle run and make the playoffs, it’s hard to find any confidence that they’ll last as long as seven games.
The Maple Leafs surely won’t let one loss out of the break wreck their confidence in making the big dance, but as has been the theme all year, each game is more important than the last. They’ll have a chance to lower the temperature with a win against the Florida Panthers, who are also struggling in the standings, but each loss like this takes them closer to the reality that they don’t have the juice to compete this year.
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Following consecutive losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs officially sport 2.6 percent odds of making the playoffs, for the 10th consecutive year. Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews met with reporters following Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the Panthers, where he tried to assess what went wrong.
“I didn’t think we had the same level of urgency and detail that they had,” Matthews said. “They got three there in the first. I thought our second and third, we competed hard and played much better, but it’s hard to dig yourself out of a hole against a team like that defends really hard.”
Matthews returned to the Maple Leafs, after captaining the United States to the gold medal in the men’s hockey competition at the Olympics. In the two games after the break, Matthews has struggled individually, as the Maple Leafs were walloped by a cumulative score of 9-3 in back-to-back games against their divisional opponents.
“I don’t think concern is the right word. I just think we need more desperation, some more fire, especially to start games,” Matthews said post-game. “We know the position that we’re in and we need to be the more desperate team every single night. I thought our start wasn’t great, but the second and third period, we competed, guys worked. We did a lot of good things, but we need to turn it into a full 60-minute effort.”
Toronto will certainly need to be the more desperate team every night for the remaining 23 games. Ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, the Maple Leafs appear headed for a retooling, where several veteran players will be on the trade block, including Bobby McMann and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, among others. It’s not the outcome that Matthews and other Leafs want, but as this year’s playoff odds continue to wane, Matthews may be playing alongside a revamped group as soon as next week.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs exited the Olympic break with back-to-back losses against the divisional rival Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, and things continue to look bleaker by the day in terms of a potential last-minute playoff push.
The Maple Leafs are currently eight points out of a playoff spot and are tied with the Ottawa Senators, who they’ll take on at home on Saturday night. Auston Matthews, who picked up an assist in each loss, said that the team hasn’t had puck possession as much as they’ve wanted to in these first two games, and suggested it as a factor in why the team has allowed so many more goals this season.
“That’s a tough question to answer, to be honest.” Matthews told media at morning skate on Saturday. “I think it’s execution. I think maybe we haven’t had the puck as much offensively this year, and with that happening, we’re kind of defending a little bit more.”
Matthews was also asked about what it’s been like getting back to action and the adjustments that come with it. He acknowledged that the adjustment can be difficult but wouldn’t use it as an excuse for their poor play.
“I think it’s always a challenge,” Matthews continued. “Obviously, a lot of guys have been off for a while, some of us are coming back from the Olympics, there’s a lot of adjusting, but everybody’s in the same boat. For us, we need to get our game back on track right away, and we don’t have time to waste. For us, it’s looking right ahead at what’s in front of us, which is a game against the Sens, divisional opponent, on Saturday. So we need to be ready for that and I don’t think anybody should have a problem getting up for a game like that.”
With the Maple Leafs currently on the outside looking in and the trade deadline now less than a week away, Matthews acknowledged the possibility of players being traded but stressed that the team can’t be thinking about anything but their goals.
“We can only focus on what we can control, and putting together a good effort tonight. Everything else is out of our control as far as the other stuff. That’s management, coaches, stuff like that. We can only control tonight, and that’s going out, and everybody’s gotta have a full effort and make sure we’re ready to compete from the drop of the puck. To claw our way back into the standings, we have to earn that.
Puckdrop between the Maple Leafs and Senators is at 7:00 pm eastern time on Hockey Night in Canada.
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It was more of the same for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.
I wrote an article last week about how the Maple Leafs’ season would ultimately hinge on these first three games out of the Olympic break. Three games against divisional rivals while sitting eight points back of a playoff spot. If there was any life to that column, the Maple Leafs could not have done a clearer job of indicating which direction they would (or should) be headed in.
After back-to-back losses against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, the Leafs returned home to host the Ottawa Senators. With the Senators entering the game one point ahead of the Maple Leafs in the standings, they played like a team that has only seen one playoff appearance since the arrival of Brady Tkachuk and wanted to bring that number up to two. The Leafs, on the other hand, looked like somebody shredded their game plan before morning skate this morning. That is, if they even had a game plan.
The Leafs went into first intermission miraculously tied 1-1 despite being outshot 16-2. In the second period, the weight collapsed on Joseph Woll and he was pulled for allowing four goals, with the Leafs limping into second intermission down 5-2 and being outshot 31-8. The third period would have been rendered completely lifeless if not for a line brawl following some antics in front of Anthony Stolarz, but it was too little too late to inject any life back into the building.
The Leafs have officially entered ‘it’s a miracle if they win’ territory after three listless efforts in a row. Keith Pelley may have thought he was acting as a beacon of hope when he sent a letter to season ticket holders and proclaimed that he would do whatever necessary to have the Leafs competing this year. But, if he’s serious about bringing a winning culture to Toronto, he’ll recognize that this team does not have the juice and green light the selling process ahead of next Friday’s deadline.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs did absolutely nothing coming out of the Olympic break to indicate that they are capable of making a playoff run, contrary to the email MLSE CEO Keith Pelley sent to season ticket holders the day of the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After back-to-back losses to the Florida teams followed by an embarrassing display on home ice against the Ottawa Senators, who were one point ahead of them in the standings heading into that game, the Leafs sure appear to be out of answers. If nobody else, it seems like head coach Craig Berube is.
When asked about how his players can manufacture the pride that they need to squeeze out a miracle run in the dying months of the season, Berube made a pretty telling gesture in terms of where the team is at the moment.
“I can’t give the guys this, or this, and they have to come with that,” Berube said, pointing at his heart and then his head. “That’s gotta be on them, like, they gotta bring the heart and the competitiveness that’s needed, and it’s all the little thing. They gotta bring that, they gotta want to bring that. We can bring the Xs and Os and I can go in there and scream and yell at them all I want, that doesn’t do anything either.”
The Maple Leafs’ playoff chances already looked bleak coming out of the break, but despite all of the wrongdoings of the season to date, there was still a glimmer of hope that they could use their three straight wins going into the break as momentum to go on a run. After all, Berube’s cup-winning 2019 St. Louis Blues team was a product of simply getting hot at the right time (and other things, like a hot goalie. Sound familiar?). But after losing those three games, and in the fashion they did, the Leafs are approaching malpractice territory if they don’t take a seller’s approach at the deadline.
“It’s concerning for sure,” Berube told reporters when asked about their consecutive losses to come out of the break. “It really boils down to being simple and direct, which we’re not right now. We want the easy ice and there’s no easy ice anywhere, any game.”
Despite the team looking like they’re at their lowest point of a season full of lows, Berube insists that the team hasn’t quit on him, or each other.
“No, they didn’t quit. I don’t believe that, I don’t worry about that.”
The Maple Leafs have three more games before the March 6 trade deadline.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs failed to show up again on Saturday, falling 5-2 to the Ottawa Senators for their third straight loss. Needing urgency as they slip further from playoff position, the Leafs instead came up with more of the same.
Speaking after the game, the team was blunt in their assessment of how they played, with captain Auston Matthews and defenceman Jake McCabe voicing their displeasure.
“It’s fairly embarrassing to be honest with you,” Matthews said. “We need to have more pride in our play no matter where we’re at, no matter what the situation is.”
“Got the first goal, which we’ve been searching for, then shit the bed after that,” McCabe offered.
Saturday’s loss is just the latest in a season that has been marked by failing to meet the moment. Expected to be a contender entering the season, they’ve now dropped to the bottom of the Atlantic division and look primed to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Despite that, the team is continuing to show a lack of urgency in these key divisional matchups. While that’s brought out a lot of frustration about the Leafs’ effort level, McCabe said right now he sees it as more of confidence issue.
“Confidence is a funny thing, we’re certainly not quitting,” McCabe said. “It’s a privilege to play in this league, certainly don’t see anyone quitting out there…lack of confidence can do crazy things to our team, as we’ve seen through stretches this year. Obviously since the (Olympic) break it’s been one of those stretches.”
Despite having one of the oldest teams in the league, McCabe spoke on how even veterans aren’t immune to these difficulties.
“(Confidence) is very fleeting,” he said. “Been around long enough that no matter how veteran you are, there’s times where you don’t have that confidence, and this is a tough game to play when you don’t have it.”
As captain of the Leafs, Matthews agreed that he doesn’t feel the team has quit, but sees the toll on the team of so many losses.
“I think when you go through stretches you can lack confidence, it happens to anybody,” Matthews said. “We’re going through a tough stretch right now coming out of the break. It’s never fun to lose, so it’s hard. It definitely wears on you.”
The Maple Leafs return to Scotiabank Arena on Monday night, set to host the Philadelphia Flyers.
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You hear that? That’s the sound of a Toronto Maple Leafs team screaming to the heavens (or at Keith Pelley and Brad Treliving, in this case) that this team does not have a playoff run in them, no matter how badly upper management might want to will it into existence.
It’s a shame that I had to use that introduction after what was actually a decently-played game by the Leafs, at least when you line it up next to whatever you want to call the three games out of the break. Toronto actually outshot its opponent, by a margin of 31-25 in this game, and there were no bursts of horrid play that resulted in multiple goals-against. Problem is, when you’re in the position the Leafs are and find yourselves seven points out of a playoff spot by the trade deadline, it’s hard to take positives out of the well-played losses.
If you ask the players in that dressing room, they likely have no choice but to take the point they got and find a way to use it as a building block. Dakota Joshua scored his first goal since coming back from injury, the Leafs countered a late go-ahead goal by Philadelphia by capitalizing on the power play shortly after, and Anthony Stolarz played well overall. But, again, as important as those things are for morale purposes, the reality is that this loss will further cloud the possibility of making the playoffs. It’s foreign territory for this group, but it’s the way things are at this point.
The Maple Leafs will visit the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night before making their way to Manhattan for a date with the Rangers. Both of these teams are battling their own demons, but at this point, how they play in these next two games probably won’t be enough to sway their deadline plans.
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Four straight losses out of the Olympic break have the Toronto Maple Leafs in free-fall mode, and with the trade deadline just days away, the roster is expected to look different by this time next week.
Up front, Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton are all but certain to be among the trade casualties, with players like Nic Roy, Matias Maccelli, and even Steven Lorentz rumoured to be drawing interest from other teams. On the back end, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Carlo could be among the most sought-after names, with Simon Benoit potentially on the move as well.
It is unlikely that we see all of those players change teams before the deadline passes on Friday, but there will surely be some changes, and the Leafs will have holes to fill on their roster as they play out the stretch. Some of those holes could be filled by incoming pieces, but the Leafs will almost certainly be turning to the Marlies for reinforcements.
Jacob Quillan has been one of the Marlies’ most important players all season and is the most obvious candidate to see an extended run with the Leafs after the trade deadline. He has already suited up for the Leafs four times this season, albeit in a limited role, and he has earned a greater opportunity with his play in the AHL. Quillan scored in last Wednesday’s win over Laval, picked up an assist in a losing effort against the Chicago Wolves on Saturday, and then extended his point streak to four games with another goal in Sunday’s rematch with the Wolves. For the season, he is up to 12 goals and 21 assists in 38 games, but he also brings an element of speed and tenacity that would be a welcome addition to a forward group that has been listless on far too many nights.
WHATTA PASS AND WHATTA FINISH
Jacob Quillan snaps one to the back of the net to make it 3-1! pic.twitter.com/0Fsy7FFQUC
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) February 26, 2026
Another undrafted free agent signing, Luke Haymes, has taken his game to another level in recent weeks after starting slowly in his first season of pro hockey. The Leafs might want to see more out of him in the AHL, but he is a player who got a long look in training camp this past fall, and his recent hot streak could earn him a shot with the big club if and when they move out a couple of bodies. Haymes recorded the first hat trick of his professional career in last Wednesday’s win over Laval, and he potted another goal against Chicago on Sunday. He has found the back of the net 13 times this season, while adding 10 assists, but eight of those goals have come in his last 10 games. Something has clearly clicked for Haymes in recent weeks, and the Leafs could be inclined to see if that translates to the NHL sooner rather than later.
The Best Sound in the Worldpic.twitter.com/0odAlQq3K0
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Now 26 years of age, Bo Groulx has outgrown “prospect” status, but his first season with the Marlies has been the best of his professional career, and he remains under contract with the Leafs heading into next season. He currently leads the Marlies in scoring and sits 12th in the entire AHL with 25 goals and 23 assists through 52 games. No one should expect him to produce like that in the NHL, but as a former second-round pick who has gotten into 65 NHL games, there is some pedigree to fall back on with Groulx, and he could be counted on for depth in the final weeks of the season.
Let's BO-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Bo Groulx sprang on a break, and he made no mistake! pic.twitter.com/k1W5KJBK7c
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There aren’t as many obvious options for call-ups on the blue line, but William Villeneuve could finally be in line for an NHL audition if the likes of OEL and Carlo are sent packing. He has shown significant growth year over year with the Marlies, and while there are still real concerns about his defensive game and overall processing speed, he’s got a big shot from the point and the ability to drive offence from the back end. Villeneuve is tracking well behind last year’s career-high 40 points, but he has missed time with injury, and still leads Marlies defenders with 20 points in 45 games. Set to turn 24 later this month, the timing could be ripe to see if there might be an NHLer in there.
Villy with the Blast, Johnstone with the tippic.twitter.com/opUny13nm6
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Similar to Groulx up front, Henry Thrun doesn’t quite qualify as a prospect with his 25th birthday coming up next week, but he is still young enough to have some untapped upside, and has some NHL experience with 123 games under his belt, including four with the Leafs this season. Thrun is neither a pure shutdown defender or dynamic offensive threat, but he has good size, better mobility than many of the Leafs’ current defencemen, and he can move the puck a bit. Set to become a restricted free agent this summer, it would serve the Leafs well to see if Thrun could be a depth piece for them moving forward.
These players aren’t going to completely alter the course of the Leafs’ future by any means, but with the core of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, and John Tavares locked in up front, and an aging blue line that needs an injection of youth, the bottom half of the Leafs’ lineup appears to be in line for some serious retooling. For too long, the Leafs have done a poor job of providing opportunities for their internal options, and that needs to change as they get set to play out the string in a lost season. There are sure to be additions from outside the organization before the start of next season, but the Leafs could get a head start on retooling their roster if someone like Quillan, Haymes, or Villeneuve shows they can fill a role on a cheap contract.
Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:
- The handling of Easton Cowan has been a hot topic as of late, and rightfully so. For much of the season, he has been forced to take on a larger role than he should have been expected to, while also being under-utilized by the coaching staff at various points. In hindsight, some time with the Marlies to start the season would have benefited him, but he was kept around because of injuries and how badly some of the new additions up front were struggling to create offence. There was also the matter of the Olympic break, where he was unable to be assigned to the AHL, because the Leafs played him in too many games leading up to the break. You could argue that he needed that time to rest and reset, but he could have done that while also playing a game or two for the Marlies over the course of the three-week break. Making it more confounding, Cowan remained a healthy scratch for the Leafs when the NHL schedule resumed, and by the time he got back into the lineup against Ottawa on Saturday night, it had been a month since his last game action. He was back in the lineup against Philadelphia on Monday, but was limited to less than nine minutes of ice time, as Craig Berube continues to rely on his veterans. With all hopes of earning a playoff spot out the window, there is no excuse for Cowan not to be playing more – whether it be with the Leafs or the Marlies. There should be a path to more minutes for him down the stretch, but the Leafs also need to ensure he is eligible for the AHL playoffs by sending him down in a paper transaction before the trade deadline passes.
- Dennis Hildeby had two of his best AHL appearances of the season this past week, stopping 19 of the 20 shots he faced against Laval last Wednesday before making 32 saves on 34 shots against Chicago on Sunday. He has now gotten into 12 games with the Marlies this season, owning a 2.43 GAA and a .902 SV%.
- Tyler Hopkins kept up his run of strong play last week after posting five goals in two games the week prior. Hopkins scored twice more against the Kitchener Rangers on Wednesday, notched an assist against Niagara on Friday, and then scored Guelph’s only marker in a 4-1 loss to Oshawa on Sunday, extending his point streak to eight games. With 13 points over that stretch, Hopkins is inching closer to the point per game mark, and he might just get there if he keeps firing the puck the way he has lately. During his current point streak, he is averaging almost 4.5 shots on goal per game.
- The production has been inconsistent, but Tinus Luc Koblar has played a significant role in one of the best leagues in the world all season long, and he won’t turn 19 until July. He entered Saturday’s contest against Djurgardens with just one point in the 12 previous games, but he scored and added a helper in the 5-2 victory. So far this season, Koblar has played 42 games for Leksands in the SHL, tallying seven goals and six assists.
Tinus Luc Koblar tar Leksand in i matchen när han snappar upp sin egen retur
— SHL.se (@SHLse) February 28, 2026
- Miroslav Holinka has forced his way into the Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup practically every week, and this edition is no different. With three goals and an assist over his last two games, he is up to ninth place in the WHL scoring race with 35 goals and 41 assists in just 53 games – fewer than anyone ahead of him has played this season. Holinka appears poised to hit the ground running when he makes the jump to the AHL next season, and he could factor in for them later this spring, depending on how far he is able to lead the Oil Kings in the WHL playoffs.
Miroslav Holinka scoring against Lethbridge = fork found in kitchen.
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) March 1, 2026
- Noah Chadwick isn’t knocking on the door for an NHL opportunity just yet, but he has made a strong impression over the last couple of weeks. He scored the fourth goal of his rookie campaign in Saturday’s shootout loss to Chicago, and with seven points in his last nine games, he now trails only Villeneuve among Marlies blueliners with 18 points in 50 games.
- Sam McCue had a productive week for the Ottawa 67s, scoring twice on eight shots against Saginaw last Thursday, and he added two more points with a goal and an assist against Sarnia on Sunday. For the season, McCue has 16 goals and 14 assists in 44 games between Ottawa and Brantford.
- The Leafs took William Belle in the fifth round of the 2025 draft on the strength of his physical makeup and willingness to play an aggressive forechecking game, but the offensive production has been disappointing in his first year of college hockey with Notre Dame. Belle finally notched his first goal against Penn State over the weekend, showing off some good speed in the process, and now has four points in 31 games, playing mostly a fourth line role for the Irish.
THAT'S OUR FRESHMAN
Will Belle's first career goal was certainly one to write home about.#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/ei2qShTwJC
— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) February 28, 2026
Statistics from EliteProspects.com
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