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The Toronto Maple Leafs had a busy offseason, as general manager John Chayka made a slew of moves that hopefully will get the team back into the playoffs next year after missing the postseason for the first time in a decade this past season.
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The team went out and acquired a brand-new No. 1 goalie, a new No. 1 defenseman, several depth pieces at forward, and, of course, they had the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Plus, they have a brand new coach.
Next year’s Maple Leafs team is going to look a lot different from this past season’s iteration of the squad. Yet, there are still plenty of questions left unanswered for the storied franchise as they look to break their long championship drought, as the last time Toronto won the Stanley Cup was in 1967.
Bobrovsy, McKenna Need To Deliver for Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs made a slew of moves this offseason, and most of them look strong on paper.
But we all know that hockey isn’t played on paper — it’s played on the ice — so it remains to be seen how the team will look next season, and we won’t know until the puck drops.
The biggest move the Maple Leafs made this offseason was signing goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21 million contract to become the team’s new No. 1 goalie.
Bobrovsky is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers and a two-time Vezina Trophy winner with the Columbus Blue Jackets as the league’s best goalie. On paper, he is the best goalie the Maple Leafs have had since Hockey Hall of Famer Ed Belfour over 20 years ago.
But Bobrovsky is 38 years old, and he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his NHL career. So while this move certainly has the opportunity to go boom for the Maple Leafs, it could also very well go bust given his age and poor form last season.
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Another big move the Maple Leafs made was when they selected Penn State U winger Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The team got lucky when they won the draft lottery, and they used the no-brainer pick to take McKenna, who is said to be someone who can immediately come into the NHL and do well.
But again, he’s only 18 years old, so the Maple Leafs cannot rely on McKenna to be their hope and savior given that he is brand new to the league. It’s going to take some time.
Instead, the Maple Leafs need to rely on superstar Auston Matthews having a bounce-back season after being banged up and showing signs of decline this past season. If the Maple Leafs are going to win anything this season, then Matthews must have a big year; otherwise, this Maple Leafs team isn’t going to win anything.
To that end, the Maple Leafs brought in support for Matthews this offseason, as Toronto signed Darren Raddysh to become the team’s new No. 1 defenseman after he had a massive season for the Tampa Bay Lightning last year.
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The team also hired a brand-new head coach with former Los Angeles Kings HC Jim Hiller coming in after they fired former head coach Craig Berube. Hiller has previously worked with the Maple Leafs as an assistant coach, so he has some familiarity with the team’s players already, which is likely why he was the one who landed the job.
This version of the Maple Leafs looks good on paper. But there is still a lot of work to do, and until the season actually begins and we see how these players all look playing with each other, we won’t know if this team has the potential to actually win the Stanley Cup.
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Maple Leafs Could Still Make Moves
Although we are now deep into the offseason and most of the heavy lifting has already been done, the Maple Leafs could still make some moves before training camp begins.
One of the players who could still go is defenseman Morgan Rielly, who is the team’s longest-tenured player with 13 seasons in the blue-and-white.
But Rielly’s time in Toronto has worn out its welcome, as the team has accomplished absolutely nothing during his time with the team. That’s not all Rielly’s fault, as he’s just one of 23 players on the roster every season. But it’s time that both player and team moved on.
The Maple Leafs have been shopping Rielly and the remaining four years and $30 million left on his contract, but to this point, they have not found a taker for him. Still, with six weeks to go before training camp, Chayka is going to keep trying to move on from him and hopefully dump his salary and get a draft pick and/or a prospect in return for him.
Another player that the Maple Leafs are said to be considering moving is winger Dakota Joshua, who had a disappointing first season in Toronto last year. With two years and $7 million left on his deal, Joshua doesn’t cost much money, so any team looking to pick up a rugged winger who can chip in a goal or two could likely get him for a late draft pick.
Other than that, the Maple Leafs are unlikely to move anyone else heading into next season, as the team is set. Yes, there are still plenty of questions left to be answered. But Chayka and Hiller need to see the team actually play on the ice before they make any more rash decisions.
This Maple Leafs team has the potential to make the playoffs next year, but they likely need more if they want to win the Stanley Cup.
Now, let’s see what happens in the early part of the season and see if this team is actually any good, or if it’s looking to be another long, failed season for a Maple Leafs’ fanbase that is desperate to see their favorite team hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in nearly 60 years.
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This story was originally published July 26, 2026 at 8:56 AM.