The Toronto Maple Leafs are starting this season with many questions and some fresh changes. Mitch Marner is out of the picture, which means the team needs to figure out how to fill the gap left by one of their biggest offensive weapons. But it’s not just about replacing points — it’s about whether this team can be better balanced and tougher all around.
Plus, without the excessive salary cap headaches from years of big contracts hanging over them, can management finally hit the reset button? And maybe most importantly, can Auston Matthews step up and lead this team in a way we haven’t seen before?
Related: Maple Leafs’ Top-Six Forward Options Post-Marner
In this edition of Maple Leafs News & Rumours, I’ll dig into what this season might bring for the Maple Leafs.
Item One: Is This Team More Balanced Without Marner?
Losing Marner’s skill and creativity hurts, no doubt. However, perhaps the Maple Leafs don’t need to replace him exactly to improve. The roster appears more balanced, with players like Matthew Knies growing into larger roles, and newcomers Nicolas Roy, Dakota Joshua, and Matias Maccelli bringing some energy. On defense, Brandon Carlo starts a full season and gives a boost to a group that needed some fresh legs.
Brandon Carlo, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
The key might be depth this year. If all four lines can chip in, play responsible hockey, and make it tough for opponents, the team could be in good shape. If someone steps up to score 20-plus goals, even better. This team might not dazzle like it once did, but it could be a lot harder to beat.
Item Two: The Players Took the Money, But Who Offered It?
The Maple Leafs’ long-standing salary cap issues didn’t emerge by accident. They were the result of a deliberate strategy: locking in young stars early, paying market value — or above — for projected upside, and trusting that playoff success would follow. It never did. The team’s core became expensive before it became proven, and the no-move clauses handed out as part of those deals made mid-course corrections nearly impossible.
While Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan had a clear vision, they couldn’t have predicted a global pandemic. Additionally, they might have overestimated both the trajectory of their stars and the ability of the roster to evolve under salary cap constraints.
Related: Maple Leafs Take Bigger Swings With Their Cap Room
Still, it’s worth asking whether the blame falls solely on the front office. Players like Marner and Matthews negotiated hard and took what the market — and the Maple Leafs — were willing to give. They didn’t take discounts to stay, nor did they structure deals with flexibility in mind. That’s their right. But when a team’s top players consume such a large share of the cap, it limits what can be built around them.
Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner (The Hockey Writers)
Toronto was left in a bind, not just because of management’s decisions, but also because the players (and their agents) accepted — and in some cases, insisted on — complete control and maximum value. Now, with new leadership in place, there’s a chance to reset. The organization appears less sentimental and more sober in its approach to contracts and roster balance. However, the legacy of those past choices — from both the executives who offered the deals and the players who accepted them — will linger for some time yet.
How far can the reset take the team this season? That might be one of the biggest questions facing Toronto as the regular season begins.
Item Three: Can Auston Matthews Be the Leader the Maple Leafs Need?
Now that Marner is out of the picture, all eyes are on Matthews. He’s the team’s top player, their highest-paid star, and the guy the team — and fans — look to for more than just goals. But here’s the real question: Can Matthews be more than just a scorer?
Related: All-Star to AHL—And Back? The Case for Jack Campbell’s Redemption
The Maple Leafs’ roster is changing. The team is focusing more on balance, grit, and depth, rather than relying heavily on a handful of superstars. That means Matthews needs to rise in ways we haven’t fully seen before — bringing leadership on and off the ice, especially when the pressure is at its highest.
He’s under contract through 2028, so the time frame is there. However, the next couple of seasons will be crucial in determining whether Matthews can lead this team to new heights and establish a legacy that extends beyond just scoring goals. With the culture shifting and expectations evolving, this is Matthews’ moment to prove he’s the leader Toronto has been waiting for.
Can he reshape himself in ways he hasn’t been asked to before?
Item Four: Marner vs. Matthews: Different Stories, Same Expectations?
Another huge question for the season is how not having Marner by his side impacts Matthews. When Marner and Matthews came into the league, they were the Maple Leafs’ big hopes for the future — two stars expected to carry the team forward. Over time, though, their stories took very different turns. Marner often faced harsh criticism, particularly for his playoff struggles and the outcome of his contract negotiations. Matthews, on the other hand, has avoided that same level of public scrutiny, even though he shares some of the same questions about his postseason performances and contract decisions.
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Both made big money, yet neither delivered the deep playoff runs that fans so desperately want. Marner’s exit leaves a big hole, not just in scoring but in the narrative around what the team needs from its stars. Now that Matthews is the undisputed face of the franchise, the spotlight is on him to prove he can be more than just a goal-scorer. Can he become the leader who guides the team through the challenging moments, both on the ice and in the locker room?
This season feels like a pivotal one for Matthews and the Maple Leafs. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely to see if he can finally answer the question that’s hung over Toronto for years: Is he the player who can carry the team to playoff glory, or will the same frustrations follow him? With Marner out of the picture, the pressure is all on Matthews — and how he handles it might define the next chapter for the franchise.
Related: Revisiting the Maple Leafs’ Jake Muzzin Trade
The ugly truth is that, for the first time in several seasons, the Maple Leafs are no longer seen as a Stanley Cup contender. Postseason, yes; much more, not so much. Is that good or bad? Can they exceed these expectations?
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Maple Leafs are now in a new phase. But, there’s always a chance to turn things around and maybe finally break through in the playoffs. They’ve got more balance and a fresh approach to contracts, but the pressure’s on Matthews and the rest of the team to deliver. Will this be the year they start rewriting the story?
Time will tell, but the fans are watching closely. Curiously, while hockey insiders predict doom and gloom, I’m seeing renewed hope for the team from fans who comment on The Hockey Writers posts. The biggest question for the upcoming season is who’s right? Is there any hope for optimism?
