John Chayka, Gavin McKenna, Auston Matthews and more: 27 Maple Leafs thoughts on season's cusp

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In recognition of the approaching 2026-27 National Hockey League season, we offer 27 Maple Leafs takes, predictions and thoughts as training camps across the league open next week.

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We present these randomly and not necessarily in order of importance.

1. The clock for general manager John Chayka already is ticking, despite the fact the 37-year-old has been on the job for a mere four months.

Chayka made a coaching change, trimmed the front office, traded for future Hall of Fame goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, acquired the biggest free-agent defenceman in Darren Raddysh and re-made the Leafs’ group of bottom-six forwards. Chayka didn’t check every box on his list — Morgan Rielly was not traded — and the nucleus remains intact, but this is Chayka’s team now.

And keep in mind this wrinkle: Of the Leafs signed for the coming season, not one will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.

2. New coach Jim Hiller’s first item on his to-do list as the Leafs try to prove their playoff miss was a one-off will be to get captain Auston Matthews back on the right side of the ledger offensively.

A lot of factors are in play — we’ll get to Gavin McKenna in a minute — but an increase in Matthews’ defensive-zone starts in two years under Craig Berube has to be reversed. Newcomers Nick Paul, Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger are capable of taking on some of that responsibility.

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3. Most fascinating to watch unfold: To what extent Bobrovsky is able to prove his difficult final season with the Florida Panthers was not the start of a career-ending decline.

The three-year contract represents Chayka’s biggest swing of the summer. If Bobrovsky doesn’t recover, there’s no choice in the matter for you, Anthony Stolarz.

4. An easy two points don’t exist in the Atlantic Division and what’s going to transpire once the regular season starts on Sept.

29 at home against the Montreal Canadiens will be no different. A return to the playoffs is not a guarantee for the Leafs even if, for example, teams such as the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins take a step back.

The Panthers — their gain of Brady Tkachuk is the Sens’ loss — will make noise again in the East. The Washington Capitals should return to the post-season.

Peter DeBoer will hit the ground running with the New York Islanders after he took over late last season. Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils have something to prove.

It’s said all the time, but it’s true: The Leafs can’t afford many off-nights.

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5. Putting McKenna on Matthews’ line is a no-brainer, is it not?

He’s no Mitch Marner, but McKenna make plays. Getting the puck will be a requirement, among others, for Matthews to re-discover his full ability as a goal-scorer.

Ditto for finding more space. If McKenna can become a bit of a magnet for opposing defenders, Matthews will be freed up more often.

6. Anyone calling for William Nylander to have a “bounce-back” year wasn’t paying attention to what happened last season.

Had he remained healthy — Nylander missed just one game in the previous four seasons — he would have been knocking on the door of his first 100-point year in the NHL. In 65 games, Nylander had 79 points.

No matter his relationship with the head coach or whether he is on the first or second line, Nylander, who turned 30 in May, produces.

7. It goes without saying that the Leafs dearly missed veteran defenceman Chris Tanev’s presence, knowledge and safety as he played in just 11 games last season.

A healthy Tanev goes a long way in righting the Leafs’ ship, obviously, but that won’t be the only factor as Toronto tries to get back to the Stanley Cup tournament. Jake McCabe would benefit from a reunion with his old partner.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson will have to take another step following a year in which he played in the Olympics for Sweden. Hiller’s ability to get his players to play strong defensive hockey, as he did with the Los Angeles Kings, will fall on all five players on the ice, not just the D-men.

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8. Rielly desired a rebound in 2025-26 and it didn’t happen.

There’s no choice but for the longest-serving current Leaf to make better decisions and improve on the whole. I don’t think Rielly will be bothered in not being traded.

He’s a team-first guy and that won’t change.

9. Raddysh will provide a bomb from the point and other intangibles, but is anyone not at least a bit concerned that he’s 30 and has had just a single excellent offensive NHL season?

10. No matter how Raddysh and Tanev perform, is the Leafs’ defence corps still too old and slow to be consistently effective?

11. Having said that, a darkhorse pickup was the acquisition of defenceman Emil Andrae from the Flyers in the trade that sent Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to Philadelphia.

Andrae’s ability to move the puck was required for Leafs group that struggled.

12. Easton Cowan’s determination and skill will ensure he takes big steps in his second NHL season.

Twenty goals, after he had 11 as a rookie, is attainable.

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13. McKenna couldn’t have asked for a better situation as he embarks on his NHL career.

With Matthews, John Tavares and Nylander in blue and white, no one is looking at McKenna and expecting him to single-handedly carry the Leafs back to prominence. There’s always pressure in being the No. 1 draft pick, but McKenna shouldn’t feel like he has anything added to his plate.

14. Cowan should get the first look in the top six over newcomer Jack Roslovic.

Either way, one will provide punch on the third line.

15. For the past few years, the thinking has been that Tavares’ production will start to take noticeable drops.

Tavares turns 36 on Sept. 20 and that hasn’t happened yet.

Seventy-one points in 82 games last season put him second among Leafs and the many steps Tavares takes to keep his body in near-perfect shape is working. He was the only Leafs player to skate in every game last season.

What has to happen is a rebound in his defensive play. For a second-line centre, Tavares’ minus-28 mark of 2025-26 is unacceptable and can’t happen again.

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16. If you’re tired of all things Marner, give me a second.

One of the bigger revelations during the summer came via a podcast when the subject was Marner. No, we’re not referring to agent Darren Ferris’ claims on The PuckPedia Hockey Show in July that Marner “was never really protected” the Leafs during his time in Toronto, among other factors.

It came earlier in July when Berube said on Simmer’s Morning Skate, hosted by Rob Simpson, that the Leafs lost their “emotional leader” when Marner went to Vegas in a sign-and-trade. The Leafs didn’t replace that last season, never mind Marner’s production.

If no one stepped into that void in ’25-’26, who will do so in ’26-’27?

17. After gutting through a knee injury and managing to play 79 games, expect Matthew Knies to shrug off what was a dip in goal-scoring.

At least 30 goals should be in Knies’ immediate future, whether that comes from playing with Matthews or Tavares. Scoring 23 a year ago after putting up 29 goals as an NHL sophomore was a disappointment, but we can’t ignore that Knies’ 43 assists were second on the team.

A tightening in defensive awareness is a must. There can’t be a repeat of going minus-30.

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18. We’ll be curious to see how Knies brushes off the trade rumours involving the Canadiens.

Be glad that Brad Treliving couldn’t get something done with the Canadiens last March. Knies is on pace to be one of the top power forwards in the NHL, if not a foundational piece in Toronto.

19. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chayka tries to add another veteran goalie at some point.

If both Bobrovsky and Stolarz hit the sick bay at the same time, can Artur Akhtyamov be counted on to carry the load? Can Akhtyamov, who pushed Dennis Hildeby out to the point that the latter was traded to Tampa Bay, shine in a backup role if required?

The next option is 25-year-old Samuel Hlavaj, who has not played in an NHL game. Not sure the Leafs want to get to that point.

20. Of the Toronto Marlies who helped the club win the Calder Cup in June, don’t expect any — including forwards Bo Groulx, Jacob Quillan, Luke Haymes or defenceman William Villeneuve — to crack the roster coming out of camp.

It’s not necessarily a knock on any of them, as it’s more about the depth the Leafs have on the blue line and at forward. An injury or two could change that, but if the Leafs make it through the short camp and pre-season healthy, the Marlies group will have to exercise patience.

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21. Adding Marlies coach John Gruden to the Leafs’ staff in the wake of the Marlies title run was the right call.

Gruden, an assistant coach previously with the Bruins and Islanders, earned the promotion.

22. Steven Lorentz will be in tough to secure a fourth-line spot and has been left off most line-combination depth charts.

He’s going to have to find some snarl and a renewed confidence to make an impression. Newcomer Brandon Duhaime is Lorentz’s main competition.

23. Matthews is fourth on the Leafs’ franchise points list with 780.

At some point late in the season he’ll pass Dave Keon, in third with 858 points.

24. As of today, the Leafs are approximately $2.75 million over the salary cap.

They’ll be compliant once Max Domi and his $3.75 million AAV go on long-term injured reserve. That’s the expectation after Domi had post-surgery complications during the off-season.

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25. It’s going to take a while to get accustomed to seeing Daniel Alfredsson behind the Leafs bench in his role as associate coach, especially if you easily recall the Battle of Ontario circa the early 2000s.

Imagine Mats Sundin having a similar job with the Senators.

26. The Mike Babcock Show will make its only appearance in Toronto on Nov.

14 when the Edmonton Oilers stop in at the Scotiabank Arena. It’s nice that the failed Leafs coach’s lone visit comes early in the season so it can be done and over with.

27. Regarding the late-summer speculation that the Leafs will trade for defenceman Erik Karlsson: Don’t do it, unless the 36-year-old suddenly becomes one of the top defensive D-men in the NHL.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

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Tim Dolighan cartoon, Sept. 8, 2026

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