There has been no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled this season. At the root of the problem is their defensive play, specifically, their inability to defend their own end. Nineteen games into the season, Toronto has a goals-against average of 3.79, placing them 31st in the NHL. Their offence, meanwhile, sits fourth in the league at 3.53 goals per game. The contrast is jarring: the scoring has held up its end of the bargain, but the defence has completely coll

The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the 2025-26 season with high expectations, boasting one of the most complete defensive cores in the Matthews era. Yet, after 19 games, the team finds itself struggling mightily in its own end. Injuries to key players, inconsistent goaltending, and a coaching transition behind the bench have combined to leave the Leafs near the bottom of the league defensively. What was once a strength for Toronto has become a glaring weakness, and the team must

As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to battle injuries, defensive inconsistency, and a mounting need for stability on the back end, one name has surfaced repeatedly in league circles as a realistic and impactful trade target: Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. With Calgary hovering near the bottom of the Western Conference standings and heading toward another retooling phase, Andersson has become one of the most discussed and coveted defencemen on the market. The Leafs r

For the first time in the Auston Matthews era, the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference after Buffalo’s 4–1 win over Carolina bumped them down yet again. It’s fair to say the Leafs have hit rock bottom. Through 22 games, they sit at 9-10-3 with just 21 points per start, a start nobody in Toronto saw coming. The one saving grace? There’s still time. A lot of it. With more than 60 games left on the schedule, and only a four-point gap

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe went down during the second period against the Montreal Canadiens , due to an upper-body injury. The team later announced that he is ruled out for the remainder of the game. This news for the Leafs is of concern, and hopefully it is nothing significant. Let’s Analyze the Leafs Defenceman Jake McCabe’s Injury The 32-year-old took a puck to the face. Moreover, the severity of the injury is unknown at this time. There will likely be a

When you look around the NHL, it’s easy to talk about international legends. However, when it comes to homegrown, American talent, Auston Matthews has staked a seriously compeling claim to being the greatest USA-born player ever. He may not have the longevity of some Hall of Famers yet, but in terms of peak production, scoring dominance, and historical milestones, he’s already building a case few Americans can match. From California and Arizona to NHL Dominance Auston Matth

The injury situation in Toronto took another hit Monday morning as the Maple Leafs officially placed defenceman Brandon Carlo on injured reserve. Carlo, who did not play in Saturday’s 3–2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, was initially listed as day-to-day. However, the setback was evidently more significant than the team first hoped. While the exact nature of his injury has not been disclosed, his placement on IR ensures he will miss at least one week of action. This is durin

The Toronto Maple Leafs received another blow on Tuesday as forward Nicolas Roy was placed on injured reserve. The 27-year-old centre suffered an upper-body injury during practice. Moreover, this means adding yet another key absence to an already battered roster. He now joins a crowded IR list that includes Auston Matthews , Anthony Stolarz , Chris Tanev , Scott Laughton , and Brandon Carlo . For a team already struggling to stay afloat, Roy’s loss compounds the lineup inst

When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Anthony Stolarz in the offseason, it felt like the kind of move teams make when they believe a goaltending dilemma is within reach of a resolution. Stolarz, 31, and already a Stanley Cup winner, inked a four-year extension worth approximately $15 million ($3.75 million average annual value) early in the 2025-26 campaign. This was after posting a career-best .926 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average in 2024-25. 2025-26: The Stra

The fallout from David Kämpf’s sudden contract termination with the Toronto Maple Leafs continues to ripple across the league. Welcome to today’s NHL Rumours, as we dive into what happened between Kampf and the Leafs. Then, we go on to discuss some of the potential suitors for the defensively reliable centre. NHL Rumours: Multiple Teams Would Have Interest in Kampf Rumour: Today’s rumour comes from Darren Dreger of TSN’s Insider Trading . It is difficult to imagine a world wh

The Toronto Maple Leafs face another critical test after their loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Two key players sustained injuries that threaten to derail their momentum. Auston Matthews didn’t return to the contest after a hard hit from behind by Nikita Zadorov during the second period. Matthews, who entered the game with nine goals and five assists in 17 games this season, was already carrying heavy offensive expectations. Now the Leafs could be short of thei

The Maple Leafs’ decision to sign Max Domi in July 2023 and lock him into a four-year deal beginning in the summer of 2024 wasn’t flashy, but it was smart. The Winnipeg-born forward, was drafted 12th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2013. He has carved out a nine-season NHL career. It has been built on grit, skill, and adaptability, before finding a home in Toronto. Known early for his elite puck skills, playmaking vision, and fiery competitiveness, Domi has evolved into a

In an organization often criticized for not producing its own stars, Matthew Knies has quietly emerged as one of the Maple Leafs’ most promising home-grown forwards, and it is more than just his stats. At 6′3″ and 227 lbs, the Phoenix-born winger combines size, skill, and scoring instinct in a way that feels built for today’s NHL, and the Leafs clearly agree. In July 2025, Toronto locked him into a six-year, $46.5 million extension ($7.75 million average annual value). That

Nicholas Robertson ’s story begins in the Ontario Hockey League with the Peterborough Petes, who selected him 16th overall in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection. After a modest 15-goal, 33-point season in 2017-18, Robertson exploded in 2019-20, notching 55 goals and 86 points in just 46 games. That kind of scoring burst made him one of the most dangerous goal-scorers in junior hockey and put him firmly on the NHL radar. A Look at Maple Leaf Nick Robertson’s Stats and Beyond In t

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered another setback Saturday night. Forward Scott Laughton left their game against the Boston Bruins with an upper-body injury. The veteran winger exited midway through the second period after taking a heavy hit from Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov . Once he left the game, he did not return. The Update on the Leafs Scott Laughton Injury The play unfolded when Laughton tried to move the puck out of Toronto’s defensive zone. He was then leveled

Scott Laughton made his Toronto Maple Leafs debut after being traded from the Philadelphia Flyers on March 7, 2025, during the NHL Trade Deadline , bringing with him 12 seasons of NHL experience. He stepped into a Leafs lineup looking for toughness, depth, and reliability traits he had shown throughout his career in Philadelphia. Scott Laughton with Leafs Beyond the Stats Laughton’s 2024-25 season played out in two halves. With the Flyers, he logged 60 games, producing 11 go

The Toronto Maple Leafs have suspended David Kampf after failing to report to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Kampf, who carries a $1.25 million cap hit through the 2026–27 season, had recorded one assist in four games with the Marlies before his absence. David Kampf’s contract has not affected the Maple Leafs’ cap hit over the past five days since he took his leave of absence. His leave of absence will likely come with terminating Kampf’s contract. Kampf’s Career in Toronto Sig

Bobby McMann ’s path to the NHL is far from typical, and that’s part of what makes his story compelling. A 6-foot-2, 215-lb forward from Wainwright, Alberta, McMann went undrafted. He honed his game at Colgate University and earned his way through the AHL affiliate before breaking into the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. Now that he’s become a regular, just where does he fit into the Leafs lineup? Analyzing the Maple Leafs Bobby McMann When he finally got a regular opportunity,

Auston Matthews ’ 69-goal season in 2023-24 wasn’t just historic, it reset the entire scoring bar in the modern NHL. It was the most goals ever scored by a U.S.-born player and the highest total by a Toronto Maple Leaf in the salary-cap era. But since then, injuries, roster changes, and subtle dips in his underlying metrics have pulled him slightly off that pace. So the real question becomes, what does Matthews need to do to get back to that level and stay among the game’s de

When you talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs history, you’re diving into over a century of hockey, 13 Stanley Cups, Hall of Famers, dynasties, droughts, legends, and heartbreak. Legendary defencemen like Tim Horton , Borje Salming , King Clancy , and Red Kelly helped define eras. They shaped the identity of the franchise. So the question we ask today is, does Morgan Rielly belong among them? Our short answer is yes. But how can we come to such a definite decision. The timing