The Toronto Maple Leafs will head to arbitration with forward Nick Robertson on August 3, according to PuckPedia.
Arbitration Hearing Dates
Kakko #SeaKraken July 25
Soderblom #Blackhawks July 28
Tsyplakov #Isles July 29
Samberg #NHLJets July 30
Timmins #Sabres Aug 2
Robertson #LeafsForever Aug 3
Struble #GoHabsGo Aug 3
Cases can be settled until hearing beginshttps://t.co/kOVxgObdmw
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 22, 2025
Robertson is coming off of the closest thing to a full season he’s had in pro hockey to date, with 15 goals and 22 points in 69 games. He signed a one-year contract prior to the 2024-25 season worth $875,000, after requesting a trade before rescinding it to sign the extension.
Robertson had fallen out of favour with then-head coach Sheldon Keefe the year before, but general manager Brad Treliving made it clear the team preferred to keep him and give him a shot under incoming head coach Craig Berube. Robertson set a new career high in goals and developed a little bit of an edge to his game, but struggled with inconsistency during the season and only suited up for three playoff games.
Treliving kept things pretty mum when asked about the team’s plans for Robertson, who was once again a restricted free agent (RFA) following the 2024-25 season. However, he did acknowledge the young forward’s skillset and implied that the team would like to keep him around if possible.
“Yeah, Nick’s a good player,” Treliving said in June. “Again, we’re in June, the puzzle has to come into place. But I think Nick is a good player. He’s still a young player, he’s still an evolving player, but he’s got a skill set and he shoots it in the net. That’s a good skill set to have.”
No stranger to an offseason in limbo, Robertson will head into the season looking to compete with a plethora of new forwards for a job on the 2025-26 roster. With Michael Pezzetta, Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy, and Matias Maccelli all joining the team in recent weeks plus the likes of David Kampf, Calle Jarnkrok, and Bobby McMann returning, Robertson will need an exceptional training camp to crack the roster full time. If he can’t, he could be a candidate to be used as trade bait.
Other players set for arbitration hearings include Seattle Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko, New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov, and former Maple Leaf (now Buffalo Sabre) Conor Timmins.
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Much like his on-ice bouts, Ryan Reaves’ tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs went out with a bang last week.
Reaves made headlines earlier this month after an appearance on The Cam & Strick Podcast where the former Golden Knight talked about giving guidance to Mitch Marner on moving to Las Vegas and the pressures of playing in Toronto. Not long after, he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks, with some fans questioning the timing of the deal in relation to his comments.
On Monday, Reaves joined Leafs Morning Take to clear the air. Spoiler alert, he said his comments had “nothing to do” with his trade, and that he already knew he was on his way out by that point. Beyond that, he was candid in sharing his frustrations with fans upset at him talking up Vegas to Marner.
“Mitchy was hitting free agency, I think that was pretty public knowledge,” Reaves told Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill. “I’m very close with Mitchy … He asked me my opinion about Vegas. I played there for four years, I live here all summer because I love the city, what do you want me to do? You want me to lie to him because I’m still technically signed with Toronto? That’s my boy, I’m not gonna steer him wrong.”
As usual, Reaves was blunt and honest, doubling down on his feelings on the pressures of playing in Toronto while reflecting on his time in Las Vegas.
“I loved my time here, I enjoyed every second of it,” Reaves said, of playing with the Golden Knights. “I think it’s a great place to live. You have the weather, you have the city that’s a little more toned down than Toronto in relation to the fans and how much pressure there is there. I’m not gonna lie to him about that. I wasn’t trying to draw him away from Toronto, I was just being honest to one of my boys.”
As someone who seemed to crumble under the pressure of playing in Toronto, especially as a hometown kid, it seems Marner took these words to heart in choosing to head to Nevada. Then again, being able to rise to the occasion is part of being a professional athlete, and the whole Toronto is a tough market narrative is getting a little tired. Maybe with Reaves and Marner gone, we can finally put that to bed for a while.
Meanwhile, Reaves also took time Monday to speak about another piece of criticism he faced this season in his lack of fighting. While fans and media alike questioned why he seemed hesistant to drop the gloves this year, he said it was mostly circumstantial.
He referenced matchups against the likes of Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nicolas DesLauriers of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Kurtis MacDermid of the New Jersey Devils as impeded by injuries or healthy scratches for either him or his potential opponent.
“There’s not a lot of heavies that are gonna fight me,” Reaves said. “So if I’m missing six, seven games of playing against heavies, that’s just kind of the circumstances of what I was dealt this year.”
While this explanation may not satisfy some frustrated fans, what’s done is done. And as Toronto chases a new identity this season, they’ll be doing it without the veteran enforcer in the Maple Leafs sweater.
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First off, a big thank you to everyone who participated in last week’s survey. Definitely a better than expected number of responses and one that definitely sheds some light on the pulse of Leafs fans, at least those reading TLN, and once again shows the huge divide in how fans view the team.
We’ll get right into it with the first question; how would you rate the Leafs offseason so far?
I’m not sure how many teams can see their top scorer walk in free agency and still receive this level of support for offseason moves, but if nothing this captures the desire for change in the organization and the excitement to see the team finally go through with it. The feelings on the individual moves are in the second question but as you’ll see from those scores there is primarily support for what has been done or at worst indifference. This likely means that if further changes are addressed and the gap of not having Mitch Marner in the lineup is closed a little further, Brad Treliving and Co. will see their standing amongst Leafs fans improve (depending on the move, but as will be seen below, true believers will always outnumber the vocal skeptics.)
If you are strictly looking at love it and hate it, the most balanced responses come from the Leafs depth signings, drafting, Pezzetta signing, and decision on Pontus Holmberg, of course these were met with a healthy dose of meh that can be interpreted in this regard as probably not caring a whole lot.
The divide being there on all things Marner isn’t much of a surprise either, nor is the high level of love for the Tavares contract, the Knies contract, and the Reaves trade. The Dakota Joshua trade was new and exciting at the time of this survey and as pessimistic as Leafs fans can be in season, there certainly seems to be a high level of optimism in the offseason.
Further thoughts on Mitch Marner…
The third question gave five options to capture your feelings on the Mitch Marner situation. In a perfect world it would have been essay format and the summary of your feelings will be rolled up best represent your complex feelings on the matter. Given that open answers in polls and surveys require more than the few moments I’m committing to this on my lunch breaks, you get five questions and here’s the summary of responses:
The Leafs should have parted ways prior to his no movement clause 48.2% It was the player’s decision so it is what it is 18.1% Good riddance, playoff Marner is Vegas’ problem now 15.7% The Leafs should have done more to bring him back 13.3% I need to see the training camp roster before I know how I’ll feel 4.8%
Honestly, putting that first option out there might have made this too easy and whether you felt it at the time or it came in hindsight, knowing that Marner had Vegas in mind for a while, now knowing the Leafs and Marner wouldn’t make anything of the those two playoff opportunities, and knowing that trades were blocked make it a pretty safe answer.
The remaining answers are where it gets interesting and the fact that the future Leafs lineup wasn’t more of a component to feelings could capture that this was always more about feelings on the player than what is best for the Leafs.
What player do you wish the Maple Leafs had targeted?
The wording on this question was to focus on players that had changed team but certainly responses that included players that re-signed are valid as well and in my attempt to avoid a “who should the Leafs have traded for/signed question that would result in responses on every player in the league, this might have resulted in some different responses.
That said, I stand by it and this exercise is more about seeing what archetype of player the Leafs should be looking for rather than a specific individual.
The top five players listed were: Andrew Mangiapane, Noah Dobson, Mason Marchment, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Brandon Tanev
Presumably the reasoning is very different for each of these players, Mangiapane was an affordable top six forward that would be an easy fit, Mason Marchment didn’t cost much in trade and fits with the desire for more of a power forward infused Leafs lineup, Dobson would have been the best possible answer to a puck moving defencemen, Ehlers was the premiere free agent option for scoring forwards, and Tanev, well… his brother is here and hopefully Dakota Joshua will be an acceptable substitute.
What player are you happy the Leafs didn’t bring in?
Similar to the above question with the same caveats about interpretation and open answer questions, here are the top five responses:
Brad Marchand, Nikolaj Ehlers, Tanner Jeannot, Mitch Marner, (tie between Patrick Kane, Sam Bennett, and Mikael Granlund)
What’s interesting is that Nikolaj Ehlers had almost the same amount of responses in both questions, making him surprisingly polarizing.
The Marner response also has to be noted as it encapsulates that there really is a large portion of the Leafs fanbase that is excited to move on from him.
Marchand is certainly a polarizing player but when you factor age and the term of his deal into things, the case can be made for a dodged bullet.
Looking at the biggest need for the Maple Leafs it is pretty much a two horse race between puck moving defencemen and a Marner replacement, with a shout out to top six capable centre rounding out the top three.
The Marner replacement aspect is one that is an interesting area to focus on as it is admittedly vague. The Leafs are not likely or want to go out to pay for a different 100 point scoring forward, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a need for a capable consistent scorer that will likely be on the powerplay and capable of handling around 18 minutes or more a night.
The puck moving is another high end acquisition and given the grudges held in this market towards Larry Murphy, Mattieu Schneider, Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly, Tomas Kaberle, and Bryan McCabe, it’s hard to think of a more thankless position in sports.
Again, it goes without saying that more options would probably be helpful, but when selecting the best of these options the idea of trying to trade Morgan Rielly was very popular. It was followed up by maybe if the Leafs have a plan in place, and my intention when writing the question was that someone would be replacing his top pairing puck moving and powerplay quarterbacking responsibilities.
Supporting the notion that moving Rielly would be a popular decision is the question above calling a puck moving defenceman a primary need as well as Noah Dobson being a player that people felt Toronto missed the boat on this summer.
And while Rielly as a Leaf has been an overall positive experience, it’s worth noting that he was noticeably a step behind last season, lost his spot on the top powerplay unit, and might not be the right fit with the current Leafs coaching staff. Throw in the fact that the changes to the core maybe shouldn’t stop with just Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly is the next most reasonable candidate to explore moving after Tavares signed his team friendly contract.
Not surprisingly, Leafs fans want Stolarz back. Less than 2% don’t want to see him return and we’ll say that falls into the trolling fanbases discovering a Leafs related survey or purposeful contrarianism. Not to completely dismiss that as age and health could be a factor, but Joseph Woll being under contract as well certainly helps with risk mitigation.
Still, the majority of those polled still had a preference in regard to contract and wasn’t prepared to say yes without a qualifier. Keeping the term below four years was the priority over keeping the cap hit below $4M, and honestly that makes the most sense.
Part two of this survey will take a look at the current state of the Maple Leafs as well as some predictions for the future. Thanks again to all who participated.
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Auston Matthews’ overtime winner against the New Jersey Devils on December 10 was pretty nasty, but the goal itself wasn’t really why this marks as one of the top goals of the season. Rather, it’s the circumstances around the goal and the way the game had gone leading up to it.
The Leafs and Devils faced off for the second time of the 2024-25 season, with former Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe looking for his first win against his old team. In a lot of ways, the game as poetic in how things played out for Keefe’s team. Leafs fans had become accustomed to watching their teams outshoot their opponent by a wide margin, doing everything they could except for score, only for the opponent to score a fluke goal and take the win despite being vastly outplayed. On this night, the Leafs were on the other end of it after suffering that same fate during Keefe’s tenure countless times.
It was a hometown game for goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who hailed from New Jersey, and he showed up to play. The Devils outshot the Maple Leafs 16-1 in the first period, and although the margin grew slimmer and slimmer by the period, they outshot the Leafs each time with the Devils holding a 38-15 lead on the shot clock heading into overtime. The Devils were all over the ice, peppering Stolarz with shots from each possible angle, but they couldn’t solve him.
This carried into overtime, with the Devils controlling pace for the majority of the frame. They couldn’t get many shots off, but when they did, Stolarz stuffed them. After Jack Hughes fed Brett Pesce for a clean look that ricocheted all the way back to centre ice, Matthews won the race to the puck and stuffed it past Jacob Markstrom for the 2-1 overtime win.
It was a textbook opposite day kind of game for the Maple Leafs, who have lost enough games in which they’ve outshot the opponent and ran into a hot goalie to last a lifetime. There were a number of moments last season that saw the Leafs on the other end of games in which the circumstances are typically reversed, and this was one of the most memorable.
Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.
Eight players on the Toronto Maple Leafs were featured in Daily Faceoff’s Top 300 NHL players for fantasy hockey ahead of the 2025-26 season.
DFO’s Matt Larkin conducted the ranking based on how valuable a player is for fantasy hockey in terms of their abilities to fill up a considerable percentage of the stat sheet beyond just goals and assists. It also took into account upside and status before the start of the campaign, which could fluctuate depending on where things stand for each player.
The highest-ranking Leaf was Auston Matthews, who landed at 10th overall due to him coming off a down season, injury concerns, and the uncertainty of his production in a post-Mitch Marner world. There is certainly a possibility he could end up being a solid bounce-back candidate among the elite NHL stars, but it is understandably unclear at this time how things will unfold for him next year.
William Nylander cracked the top 20 by finishing 19th overall, with him coming off two productive seasons and a potential candidate to fill the void left behind by Marner. Combined with his durability, Larkin argues that Nylander is among the safer picks in the early rounds of a fantasy draft for this upcoming season.
The next Leafs player featured is Matthew Knies, who landed at 59th in part due to his breakout season that included 29 goals and 182 hits. One area hurting his placement is the fact he only mustered up five power-play goals during the regular season, but getting more touches and confidence should do wonders in helping further his stock for next year and beyond.
After Knies is John Tavares, who was slotted at 80th overall after a 38-goal campaign in a contract year that earned him a four-year extension. There is some uncertainty with his offensive output due to him now being 35 and the prior campaign being partly aided by a high shooting percentage.
Rounding out the Leafs in the top 100 is Anthony Stolarz at 88th, the highest ranked goalie for the Leafs which makes sense given how well he fared last season. While his numbers from the past year are comparable to Connor Hellebuyck, his injury concern and the fact that he is one-half of a tandem rotation hurt his stock a bit.
The remaining Leafs in the top 300 were Joseph Woll (154th), Morgan Rielly (210th), and Matias Maccelli (243rd). Beyond the top eight Leafs are a further three included as players on the bubble in Easton Cowan, Bobby McMann, and Max Domi.
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Is there anything sweeter than watching the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins? How about watching them overcome a three-goal deficit to take a 5-4 overtime victory (…sound familiar?).
On February 25, Mitch Marner did just that for the Maple Leafs, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime at TD Garden, capping off a big night where the Leafs erased two Bruins’ leads to steal two points.
More than just being a big goal, it also happened in beautiful fashion. The Bruins came out hot, working up to a 3-0 lead by the midway mark. Toronto responded with goals from Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, and Nick Robertson to tie it, before Boston took the lead once again halfway through the third. With 45 seconds remaining in regulation, Pontus Holmberg found the tying goal with the extra attacker on the ice.
With one minute remaining in overtime, Anthony Stolarz came up with a huge pad save on Boston’s Mason Lohrei and the Leafs turned it right around. Auston Matthews flipped it to Marner who came through with a burst of speed to earn the breakaway and beat Jeremy Swayman for his second of the night.
It was the team’s third consecutive win, putting up 16 goals over that stretch. Their sixth win over their last seven overall, it came as part of a winter hot streak that positioned them to eventually win the Atlantic Division.
In many ways, Marner’s game-winning screamer represents the best of what the Maple Leafs were capable of this past season. The resilience to rally back from a three-goal deficit, and then find the late tying goal once Boston took the lead again, shows the new mental toughness this team is building under Craig Berube. And for the goal to come after such a huge save from Stolarz just shows how things have improved on all ends of the ice for Toronto.
Beyond all that, every time the Maple Leafs and the Bruins face off, it’s about something bigger. As one of the longest standing rivalries in hockey, the bad blood runs deep. And over the last decade, the shadow of Toronto’s blown 4-1 lead in Game 7 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals has cast over all matchups between these two groups.
With that in mind, it’s all too satisfying to watch the Maple Leafs overcome a 3-0 deficit to eventually force overtime where they grabbed the 5-4 win. As Toronto searches for their elusive Stanley Cup, while Boston’s window seems to have closed for now, it’s been a season of re-writing narratives for the Maple Leafs. While this was just a regular season contest, it certainly fits the bill of what this group is trying to do to turn things around.
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London Knights head coach Dale Hunter expects to see Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan push for a spot in the lineup for the 2025-26 season.
The team’s top prospect has recently wrapped up his OHL career, where he was once again one of the team’s most important pieces en route to their second consecutive appearance in the Memorial Cup Final. The Knights were able to get the job done this time around, and Cowan was also able to secure the Memorial Cup MVP for his efforts as he led the team in playoff scoring with 39 points (13 goals and 26 assists) in 17 postseason games.
His former coach made an appearance on The Fan Morning Show with Ben Ennis and Brent Gunning on Wednesday, where he was asked about Cowan’s chances of making the Leafs lineup to begin the year.
“He’s going to push to make the team and play well for the Leafs,” he said. “Every organization needs young guys pushing to make the team, and it will make the Leafs better. And he’s going to make it. So, that’s a good thing for the Leafs.”
While it remains to be seen if Cowan will indeed be on the opening night lineup, there is certainly a chance for him to snag a spot. One of the team’s primary needs has been the acquisition of a top-six forward and that void has yet to be filled so far this offseason. Things can certainly change between now and training camp, but the opportunity is there for Cowan to grab a spot if he can earn it.
Should he make it there, the next challenge will be to stay in the NHL while being a positive contributor on a nightly basis. Hunter said the best advice he can provide Cowan is to be ready for the physical demands of an 82-game season.
“It’s the best league in the world, and you’ve got to be physically ready for it because there are big guys in the National Hockey League,” he said. “It’s 80-plus games and it’s a grind in there, and you just got to be ready every night to perform, be consistent, and that’s what the NHL guys are looking for.”
Hunter is not the first one to heap high praise on Cowan’s chances to claim an NHL spot, as his trainer felt similar last summer, while GM Brad Treliving said before training camp last fall that there would be a spot for the prospect if he could prove he is capable. Head coach Craig Berube said that the key was for him to show that he didn’t have any more ‘junior habits’, which the coaching staff deemed unsatisfactory enough despite being at camp until the end.
As for how Cowan himself feels about where his game is at, he feels it’s in a good place and was especially proud of his ability to elevate his play in big moments.
“I’m just worried about myself,” he said during the 2025 development camp earlier in July. “I have the chance to get a job. That’s up to me to go out there and show what I can do and play my game. Still a couple months away, so I’m gonna take every day, day by day, and just keep getting better.”
He is by no means a shoo-in to crack the Leafs roster out of camp, but the opportunity is there for him to stake his claim as someone who can help fill the void left behind by Mitch Marner. At the very least, Hunter feels that Cowan has what it takes to make it.
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Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares was invited by Hockey Canada to the National Teams Orientation Camp in preparation for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
Tavares was one of 42 players who will take part in a three-day off-ice event that involves players and staff from the men’s, women’s, and para hockey teams. According to the press release, the event includes presentations, team-building exercises, team meetings and media opportunities in preparation for the upcoming season.
While it is not an indication that Tavares is a lock to head to his second Olympics and first since the 2014 games in Sochi, it does indicate that he is on their radar and could be among the first players considered if the primary options that will likely make the cut are injured. It makes sense given how productive he has been throughout his time representing his country on the international stage.
In every major tournament Tavares got to participate in, Canada ended up winning gold, with his play being a factor in their efforts. He is perhaps most famous for his showing at the 2009 World Juniors where he recorded 15 points (eight goals and seven assists) in only six games, one of which was an assist on Jordan Eberle’s iconic late-tying goal against Russia that helped secure Canada’s spot in the gold medal game.
More recently, he captained Canada at the 2024 World Hockey Championships where he finished tied for the team lead in scoring alongside Dylan Cozens with 11 points (two goals and nine assists) in nine games played. Although he was easily one of their top performers, Canada ultimately fell short as they ended the tournament in fourth place.
Despite a strong 2024-25 season where he produced 74 points (38 points and 36 assists) in 75 games played, Canada opted not to include him on their 4 Nations Face-Off roster, which he admitted he felt disappointed by the omission. While it’s too early to say if their views on him have changed drastically within the last few months, Tavares is at the very least on their radar.
In addition to Tavares, three other players were formerly members of the Leafs organization invited to the Orientation in Mitch Marner, Zach Hyman, and Carter Verhaeghe.
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Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving delivered on his message of change, and the team’s forward corps have undergone dramatic revisions ahead of the 2025-26 season. Auston Matthews and William Nylander will be leading the charge, Matthew Knies is expected to take another leap, while Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy provide a new dimension to the team’s bottom-nine composition.
How do the Maple Leafs’ top-nine forwards compare to the rest of the Atlantic Division heading into the 2025-26 season? We’re going to take a deeper look, with the caveat that some teams could make some last minute adds: it’s entirely possible Max Pacioretty signs with the Detroit Red Wings, for example, and we’re not ruling out the possibility of James Hagens cracking the Boston Bruins roster out of training camp.
For the purpose of this exercise, all line projections are provided by Daily Faceoff.
The defending champion Panthers are the gold standard
Florida Panthers
Carter Verhaeghe-Aleksander Barkov-Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues-Sam Bennett-Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen-Anton Lundell-Brad Marchand
You may be sick of hearing about the Panthers, especially after they demolished the Maple Leafs in Game 7, but the defending champions are poised to three-peat after pulling off the best free agency haul of the salary cap era. Barkov won the Selke Trophy, Reinhart was a finalist, while Carter Verhaeghe’s all-world speed allows the Panthers to roll out the best line in hockey. Verhaeghe-Barkov-Reinhart were the 20th-most commonly used forward unit in the NHL last season and controlled 61.6 percent of the expected goals via MoneyPuck, the greatest share of any line that played greater than 350 minutes in 2024-25.
And really, you don’t need the charts to quantify the all-around dominance that Florida’s top line displayed. This team has incredible versatility and interchangeability across the board. Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy and while Tkachuk could undergo surgery to repair his torn adductor, there are no signs that he will undergo the procedure imminently. This is a frightening top-six and the Panthers have the best third line in hockey by some distance.
The combination of Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand was often viewed as the best third line of the 2025 playoffs. This is too narrow: they were one of the best lines in hockey, regardless of distinction, Marchand narrowly missed out on the Conn Smythe, while Lundell and Luostarinen are still rapidly improving. Toronto was one game away from unseating the champs, but that’s in the past, and looking ahead to the upcoming season, Florida is in a tier of its own.
The challengers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Matias Maccelli
Max Domi-John Tavares-William Nylander
Dakota Joshua-Nicolas Roy-Bobby McMann
Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nicolas Roy, ending the Core Four era as we know it. Toronto will likely take a small step back during the regular season, as Marner was an all-world playmaker who registered a career-best 102 points last season. As a result of Marner’s departure, Toronto is also operating with a more balanced forward corps, as Roy is a true third-line centre, while the team is betting that Dakota Joshua’s career-best campaign in 2022-23 is the truer measure of his overall player profile.
Matias Maccelli will likely get the first look on the first line, with Knies and Matthews. Maccelli is a fascinating, high-upside bet for the Maple Leafs. He’s a dynamic playmaker coming off a poor year with the Utah Mammoth, and will be afforded much better linemates with the Maple Leafs. Maccelli told reporters that he’s a better player than what he’s displayed in the past, and the left-handed winger will be tasked with finding Matthews in the high-danger areas.
Roy is the third-line centre, although he will be pushed by Scott Laughton for his spot on his line. Laughton was acquired at the trade deadline with the idea that he’d provide plus-level defence and some scoring touch, but he never generated any meaningful offence and will be tasked in a fourth line role to start training camp. Internal competition is a good thing for a Leafs team that still boasts four star talents in Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and an ascending Knies. Will greater balance provide the key for the Leafs to topple the defending champion Panthers, or the Lightning, who will fight for the division title? This is essentially the thesis that governs the 2025-26 Leafs.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Jake Guentzel-Brayden Point-Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel-Anthony Cirelli-Gage Goncalves
Conor Geekie-Nick Paul-Oliver Bjorkstrand
Given its championship pedigree, the Lightning will certainly enter the 2025-26 season reeling from a five-game, first-round exit at the hands of the Panthers. This is still a very dangerous team and while they’re removed from their dynasty years, you cannot count any team led up front by Nikita Kucherov. Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Kucherov combined for a league-best 72.1 percent share of the expected goals (150 minutes played as a line, minimum via MoneyPuck) and positional versatility has been a central component of Jon Cooper’s pedagogy.
Kucherov primarily played with Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point, outscoring teams 44-26 with a 51 percent share of the expected goals. It’s a phenomenal top line, with elite scoring and chance production from all three players, these qualities are just obscured by the Panthers. I voted for Cirelli over Barkov for the Selke Trophy, with Hagel on my ballot as well and while Gage Goncalves isn’t a top-six player naturally, pairing him with two all-world, all-around talents naturally boosts the talent profile.
Nick Paul has become one of Cooper’s most trusted players, while Geekie and Bjorkstrand are expected to provide secondary scoring. This team isn’t as good as the 2020 group, but make no mistake, the Lightning are firmly in the mix for the Atlantic title, with Cup-winning bonafides to strike fear into their opponents, stateside rivals notwithstanding.
The upstarts
Ottawa Senators
Brady Tkachuk-Tim Stutzle-Fabian Zetterlund
David Perron-Dylan Cozens-Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig-Shane Pinto-Claude Giroux
Ottawa’s rebuilding phase is over after making it to the playoffs last season, and it will look to unseat Toronto and Tampa Bay as the leading challengers in the Atlantic. Tkachuk and Stutzle are genuine stars capable of taking over games, while Fabian Zetterlund’s skill profile makes him a fascinating, if imperfect fit on the top line. Dylan Cozens is entering his prime and he’s flanked by Drake Batherson, who is coming off his third-consecutive 60-point campaign and the ever-reliable David Perron.
Ridly Greig, Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux will benefit from shared continuity together, while Lars Eller can be moved up the lineup for spot duty within the top-six, if required. If you factor some internal improvement into the Senators’ projection, along with the Leafs being a few games worse without Marner, the Battle of Ontario could reach a scorching point during the regular season.
Montreal Canadiens
Cole Caufield-Nick Suzuki-Juraj Slafkovsky
Zack Bolduc-Kirby Dach-Ivan Demidov
Patrik Laine-Alex Newhook-Oliver Kapanen
Don’t look now, but the Canadiens are a real upstart in the Atlantic, they boast the best prospect pool in the NHL and are about two years away from their real contention window. This is an exciting team, and Montreal’s first line consisting of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraf Slafkovsky registered a NHL-best 49 goals together, with a plus-20 differential. Suzuki is coming off the best season of his career, where some believed he should’ve been a down-ballot Selke candidate, Caufield is a lethal scorer and Slafkovsky is beginning to show why he was selected first overall in 2022.
Demidov is an electrifying offensive talent, with some believing that he’s a better player than Philadelphia Flyers standout Matvei Michkov. Zack Bolduc caught fire during the second half of the year with the St. Louis Blues, while Kirby Dach, when healthy, is a reliable two-way forward, although he hasn’t quite lived up to his draft billing. This is an intriguing, combustible top-nine and Patrik Laine is a streaky scorer who can shoot the lights out when he’s at the top of his game, although consistency is always the issue. Michael Hage won’t crack the roster this year, but his high-end talent should give Alex Newhook and Oliver Kapanen a real push during training camp.
Montreal isn’t ready for contention yet, but it is rapidly improving and it wouldn’t be a surprise for them to close the gap in the Atlantic. This season’s projection may come down to Demidov’s ability to produce on a daily basis, but the Canadiens have an exceptionally bright future, with Suzuki and Caufield steering the current group.
The wild-cards
Boston Bruins
Morgan Geekie-Elias Lindholm-David Pastrnak
Pavel Zacha-Casey Mittelstadt-Viktor Arvidsson
Tanner Jeannot-Fraser Minten-Matej Blumel
You can see why we’d be a bit reticent to discount the Boston Bruins, but they’re simply not the team they used to be. Boston missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16 and are trending downwards ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. David Pastrnak is an elite scorer who can propel the Bruins’ offence, but he lead the team in scoring by a 49-point margin, with Morgan Geekie’s 57 points ranking second.
Viktor Arvidsson is two seasons removed from a 59-point campaign with the Los Angeles Kings, while Casey Mittelstadt has rarely seemed ready for a consistent top-six role. Fraser Minten is a NHL-ready player but will need to improve significantly on his offensive game, while Tanner Jeannot provides little value in any role at this juncture. Boston is a wild-card because of Pastrnak’s talent, but if he misses any time at all, this unit plummets to the bottom of the Atlantic.
Detroit Red Wings
James van Riemsdyk-Dylan Larkin-Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat-Marco Kasper-Patrick Kane
Michael Rasmussen-J.T. Compher-Mason Appleton
Detroit is constantly stuck in the middle and while it boasts some name-brand talent, it is a group that is worse than the sum of its parts. Lucas Raymond is a genuine star, while Dylan Larkin has proven that he can excel against best-on-best competition, but at this stage of his career, James van Riemsdyk isn’t suited for a top-six role. Patrick Kane is still a good offensive player, but placing him on a line with Alex DeBrincat, who boasts a similar profile, invites plenty of defensive zone headaches.
It could be a lot of fun to watch as a neutral, but the Red Wings are basically asking to play a high-tempo game, with little attention to detail on the defensive side of the puck. This is also a team that finished with the fifth-fewest goals at 5-on-5 last season. Will a major leap from Raymond propel the Red Wings into a playoff spot?
Requires significant improvement
Buffalo Sabres
Zach Benson-Jiri Kulich-Tage Thompson
Jason Zucker-Josh Norris-Alex Tuch
Josh Doan-Ryan McLeod-Jack Quinn
Tage Thompson is a terrific individual talent, and Alex Tuch is a genuine star but this is a team that could be leading the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. Zach Benson and Jiri Kulich are 20 and 21 years old, respectively, so there’s reason to believe they’ll show significant improvement, but as currently constructed, this is a team designed to lose matchups across the board, whether it’s intentional or not.
Buffalo received an underwhelming return for J.J. Peterka and while Josh Doan posted superior underlying numbers with Utah, it remains to be seen whether his defensively responsible game will translate in a new setting. This is a team that has a mix of young players who are miscast, two genuine stars, and a lot of question marks. When will the Sabres meaningfully push for a playoff spot? It’s been a tough time for Sabres fans to watch the Canadiens and Senators speed past them in the Atlantic rankings, and perhaps there will be further changes in-season.
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Nick Robertson and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to a one-year pact worth $1.825 million for the 2025-26 season, avoiding Sunday’s scheduled arbitration hearing. It’s a fair deal for both parties, it’s a cost-effective bet by the Maple Leafs and in some ways, it represents Robertson’s last real chance of making an impact within the organization.
It has often been argued that Robertson would fare better elsewhere because of his player profile. Robertson is a skilled forward, his best asset is his shot, but he often struggles to find the space to get his release off at the NHL level. He’s still just 23 years old, which is sometimes lost on upon Leafs Nation, as he scored as an 18-year-old against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2020 playoffs, the third player in franchise history to reach this early milestone. It may have portended a brighter future for Robertson and he’s often frustrated some fans for not meeting his potential with the Maple Leafs. Now, the Leafs have cost certainty to work with and Robertson’s contract may be an attractive discussion point in any potential trade, whether in the early stages of the season, or near the trade deadline.
Robertson will be afforded every chance to become a regular in Craig Berube’s lineup, but his space isn’t guaranteed. Toronto restructured its forward corps this summer after Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nicolas Roy, who will almost certainly slot in as the team’s No. 3 centre. Dakota Joshua was acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks, while new addition Matias Maccelli is earmarked for the top-six, looking to bounce back from a disappointing year with the Utah Mammoth. There is real internal competition with the bottom-six, with Robertson, Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton among others looking to justify further ice time, while the Maple Leafs certainly need real secondary scoring after Marner’s departure. If Robertson wants to be a part of the Maple Leafs’ future, he’s now been signed to a prove-it deal, and if he’s really the efficient scorer that his per/60 numbers seem to project (T-50th in the NHL among all skaters with 200 minutes or greater at 5-on-5 last season) there’s no better time to display this element on a more consistent basis.
Toronto enters the 2025-26 season with less star power but greater depth among its forward corps and Robertson is a known as a pure scorer that has been subject to bouts of inconsistency during his professional tenure. He has to shoot the puck in the net more often, even his his per/60 numbers suggest that he’d benefit from greater playing time. Robertson either cements himself as a key part of the Leafs’ future or he becomes an attractive player to trade, with a contract that many other suitors would deem as a low-risk, high-reward proposition. In any event, Robertson’s new deal accelerates his timeline with the Maple Leafs. It’s now incumbent upon him to make the most of his latest and perhaps final opportunity with the team that drafted him.
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Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander has been awarded the 2025 Guldpucken, an honour reserved for Sweden’s top ice hockey player of the year. The recipient is named by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and Swedish newspaper “Expressen”.
How swede it is
Congrats to Willy on receiving the GuldPucken, awarded to the best Swedish player of the past seasonpic.twitter.com/V8Xktz8Sap
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) August 4, 2025
Nylander continued to ascend for the Maple Leafs in 2024-25 by posting a new career high in goals with 45 despite his assists causing his overall point total to drop from 96 in 2023-24 to 84 in 2024-25. He also led the Maple Leafs in playoff scoring with six goals and 15 points in 13 games.
The award was introduced in 1956, and up until 2014-15, it was reserved for the top Swedish player in their native ice hockey system. Since then, it’s been expanded to include players of Swedish nationality who are playing in the NHL. Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman was the first to claim it following the expansion of eligibility. Florida Panthers defenceman Gustav Forsling took home the award in 2023-24, and Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson has the most of any NHL player, collecting it three times in 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2022-23.
Nylander signed an eight-year extension worth $11.5 million annually to stay with the Maple Leafs back in January 2024, and his production in the first season post-extension has inspired confidence among the fanbase. Especially with the recent drama involving Mitch Marner and his messy exit from the organization, Nylander was able to win over a portion of fans who had previously written him off after he went through his own messy negotiation process back in 2018-19. Since then, he’s continued to steadily improve every season, and ultimately, signing the dotted line to stay in Toronto for presumably his entire career has struck a positive chord with fans, who in 2025, value players who want to be there and contribute more than skill.
With Marner’s departure, Nylander will enter 2025-26 with a grander opportunity than ever, and as somebody who loves the limelight, will surely be looking to put an even bigger mark on the franchise that’s down a star player.
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Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.
