Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Artur Akhtyamov will make his NHL start on Thursday, against the New York Islanders, head coach Craig Berube confirms postgame on Wednesday. Akhtyamov will replace injured netminder Anthony Stolarz on the roster after he sustained a lower-body injury during the Maple Leafs 4-0 loss on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals. Joseph Woll took over the net just a few minutes into the game, before Stolarz was ruled out of the contest during the first intermission. With just four games remaining, it is looking as if the best foot forward is to leave him out of the lineup for the remainder of the season. Craig Berube gives update on Anthony Stolarz postgame, Wednesday Craig Berube spoke to the media postgame and was not able to speak on the status of their starting goalie. "As of now, it’s lower body. He’s out. I don’t know right now about the rest of the season. He’ll get some imaging done. It was tough. I feel for Joe Woll having to go in there, too, but obviously, Anthony couldn’t go. It’s unfortunate. He has been hurt a few times this year. We will see where he is at." Artur Akhtyamov confirmed starter on Thursday against the Islanders Berube also touched upon Akhtyamov's game and why he is getting the start against the Islanders. "We just want to see him. I really liked him right from camp. He backed up a couple of times this year. He has a great personality. He has played well down there, and he is a competitor. He really has fast reflexes and is competitive as hell. I like the kid a lot." Ahktyamnov made his NHL debut on December 13th against the Edmonton Oilers, entering the game in relief of Dennis Hildeby and making five saves. Ahktyamnov has had a solid season with the Toronto Marlies, posting a .903 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average. This play earned him a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $900 thousand in March. Ahktyamnov was also named to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic. This move late in the season confirms the direction the Maple Leafs want to take heading into the season, looking for young forwards who may be able to play roles with the NHL club in the future. If he performs to the same level we have seen with the Marlies, he may be able to play his way into a role with the Maple Leafs, similarly to Hildeby this season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were dealt an early blow in their matchup against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, as Anthony Stolarz left the game just minutes in with a lower-body injury. Joseph Woll came into the game in relief for Stolarz. Woll has been put in an uncomfortable situation; however, he has played solidly in relief. Stolarz was given the start on Wednesday, following a 7-6 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night. Woll ended Saturday with a .875 save percentage while stopping 33 of the 40 shots he faced. No immediate update regarding Stolarz's injury There has been no immediate update from the Maple Leafs, and they are unlikely to provide one following the game. The injury was apparent and seems to be a groin injury as Stolarz extended to make a save, later going down in pain. Stolarz needed help exiting the game and was not able to put any weight on his leg heading down the tunnel into the locker room. Season filled with injuies for Stolarz Anthony Stolarz has struggled this season, experiencing a noticeable drop in performance after a career year with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024-25. The American netminder has also battled injuries throughout the year, missing nearly three months with a nerve issue and later sitting out after being hospitalized following a shot to the neck from William Nylander in warmups. Stolarz has only appeared in 25 games this season, posting a 10-10-3 record, with a .896 save percentage and a 3.29 goals against average. At this point of the season, with the Maple Leafs eliminated from postseason contention, it could be the correct decision to end Stolarz's season. The Maple Leafs netminder has dealt with injuries throughout his career and could need the rest heading into the 2026-27 season. With the possibility of Stolarz being moved in the offseason, there is no room for error regarding his health. The Maple Leafs will get a clearer picture of the status of his injury in the coming days.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the team's nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy this season. The Swedish defenceman was nominated by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Does Ekman-Larsson have a shot at winning the Masterton? The Bill Masterton Trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Ekman-Larsson has had a major bounce back during the 2025-26 season, producing 38 points, including eight goals in 73 games played. Ekman-Larsson has dealt with injuries throughout the season; however, he has only missed one game due to an injury, while also missing time for the birth of his child and being held out of the lineup for trade purposes. Ekman-Larsson, in his resurgence season, represented Team Sweden at the Olympic Games in February. Ekman-Larsson is one of the few bright spots for the Maple Leafs This season has been a disaster for the Maple Leafs as a whole; however, Ekman-Larsson has been one of the very few bright spots in the Maple Leafs lineup. The Maple Leafs are set to miss the postseason for the first time since 2015-16, but he has consistently been the best player on the blueline, stepping up in many different roles when asked upon. Throughout the season, he has been applauded for his toughness, work ethic, veteran leadership, and reliability. Ekman-Larsson has also taken a massive step forward offensively, filling in for Morgan Rielly as he continues to struggle. He often replaced Rielly on the first unit, acting as the quarterback when he was struggling. Despite the Maple Leafs struggles throughout the season, Ekman-Larsson has made it clear that he wants to remain a Maple Leaf and be a part of the solution rather than the problem. John Tavares was nominated by the Maple Leafs just one campaign ago. All 32 teams around the NHL will announce their nominee on Wednesday, while the Professional Hockey Writers Association will select the winner of the Bill Masterton.

It should not be shocking that the Toronto Maple Leafs have several players on the trade block heading into the offseason, given how disappointing this season has been. What should be shocking to many is the players who are rumoured to be heading to a new destination for the 2026-27 season. If the Toronto Maple Leafs truly want a shake-up to their roster -- and that all depends on the future front office hires and what they want to do -- then moves involving Auston Matthews and William Nylander make sense. Could Matthews or Nylander be traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins? If a deal were to transpire, the Pittsburgh Penguins are a team many see as attempting to acquire the Maple Leafs' stars. Josh Yohe of The Athletic explains why Pittsburgh could be a destination for the two. "I think Nylander and Kyle Dubas do have a good relationship, and I think the Penguins would certainly be equipped to make such a deal, both financially and with the number of picks they have at their disposal. Yeah, and I mean the Penguins would be on the short list if Auston Matthews wants out, I don’t think there’s any question about that, so that’s something to consider." Yohe said on a recent podcast. With Nylander having six years remaining on his contract, compared to Matthews' two, the Penguins may be more inclined to make a deal regarding the Swedish forward. If they strike a blockbuster deal for Matthews and, following the end of his contract, he decides to take his talents elsewhere, this could come back as one of the worst trades Kyle Dubas has ever made, including if the two seasons do not come with any success. The familiarity between Dubas and the Maple Leafs forward could be a reason for these players to waive their no-movement clauses. As the former general manager of the Maple Leafs, he was a key factor in building the Maple Leafs core and the star players they would have to build around. William Nylander confirms his desire to be with the Maple Leafs William Nylander, in retrospect, has expressed his desire to stay with the organization, implying they are not heading into a rebuild. He recently spoke with The Athletic, saying, “Unless it was a full rebuild and we were going to get rid of everybody, then it’s a different story. Then you take that conversation then. But just to do a retool or whatever, I don’t even know, but I mean, I still want to be here, yeah." At this current time, a trade regarding either Auston Matthews or William Nylander seems unrealistic as the Maple Leafs fill their general manager position; the hiree could make some tough decisions and expect Pittsburgh to emerge as a name in these trade talks.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs head into one of their most important offseason to date, there has been lots of trade chatter around the entirety of the Maple Leafs roster, and with no general manager in place, it seems that the team is currently up in the air. However, one name that should be completely off-limits is Matthew Knies. Moving on from Knies could significantly change the trajectory of the roster from retooling to rebuilding. Despite recent trade rumours regarding the American forward, it seems that the Maple Leafs are still unlikely to move on from their young forward. During the trade deadline, it was rumoured that the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Chicago Blackhawks were all interested in acquiring Knies. The reasoning behind putting Knies on the trade block was simple: Brad Treliving and the rest of the management staff were trying to see whether any team had made a proposal they couldn't refuse. Maple Leafs would lose more than they would get by trading Matthew Knies According to Nick Kypreos, the Maple Leafs reportedly were asking for three different asking prices: two first-round picks and a high-end prospect, one first-round pick and two high-end prospects, or three high-end prospects. None of which any of these teams would be willing to give up, which leads back to an offer they can't refuse. Looking at the interested teams, the only team that could consider making this deal is the Chicago Blackhawks, as they have a boatload of young prospects that the Maple Leafs would be interested in. Knies has quickly developed into one of the most important young pieces in the organization. At just 23 years old, he brings a rare combination of size, skill, and physicality that the Maple Leafs have been searching for over the past several seasons. Standing at 6-foot-3 and over 230 pounds, he plays a power-forward style that complements the team’s skill players while also adding an edge that has often been missing. Knies has consistently shown the ability to play up and down the line and be as impactful whether alongside Auston Matthews or on the third line with Nicholas Robertson and Max Domi. Creating more issues than solving trading Knies Trading Matthew Knies will create more problems rather than solve their issues. He has continued to improve every season with the Maple Leafs and provides too much value to their lineup. If the goal heading into next season is to be competitive and be back in the playoff picture, moving on from their generational talent isn't the right way to go about it.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have faced a number of issues throughout their disappointing season, but one of the most consistent problems has been their inability to generate enough offence. The Maple Leafs do not lack star talent; however, a mindset that seems to set them back on a nightly basis. Craig Berube says why the Maple Leafs struggle offensively Craig Berube opened the media availability, speaking on how the team performed and why they fell short on Thursday night. "We got better as the game went along. I thought that, throughout the whole game, we didn’t shoot the puck enough. We had a lot of opportunities to get more pucks to the net. They blocked too many shots, too, in my opinion. Offensively, we could’ve done a lot more than we did." Craig Berube, later in the postgame availability, explained the reasons for these struggles and why they only finished the game with 19 total shots. "I think we don’t look to shoot enough, personally. There are a lot of times when it is just a simple shot. It is not our first instinct, in my opinion. Even from the backend, we could move our feet quicker and get them through.  I think it is a mindset, more than anything. In the second period, there were opportunities. "We are right there, and we are trying to pass it. We have to get that out of our system. We have to put more pucks at the net. It’s simple shots. In the third, when Max shoots and hits the post, it’s from a ways out, but those are the types of things. I could go back and look at it, but when we shoot the puck, we recover it probably 80% of the time." Moving towards the end of the season for the Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs, throughout this season, sit towards the middle of the NHL in goals for with 236. In past seasons, this was a stat they would dominate, often sitting towards the top of the NHL, finishing within the top 10 just one season ago. The Maple Leafs have continuously struggled to sustain offensive pressure throughout the game; perhaps it could be because of the absence of Mitch Marner, but they simply don't know how to attack their opponents in the offensive zone. When a team starts shooting the puck and finding ways to the net, it breaks open their opponents' structure and can often lead them to begin chasing for the puck, which will open seams and lanes to the net. With the Maple Leafs just passing it around, waiting for the perfect opportunity, they should quickly realize it never comes. As the season winds down, this issue has become a defining flaw. For a team built around offensive talent, failing to adopt a shoot-first mentality has limited their ability to control games and produce consistent scoring.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to receive some unfortunate news on the injury front, as according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is unlikely to dress for the Maple Leafs on Saturday due to a lower-body injury suffered against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. The Maple Leafs defenceman was ruled out of the contest following the second period, after an awkward collision with Sharks forward Adam Gaudette behind the Maple Leafs' net. Oliver Ekman-Larsson skated 11 shifts while logging 7:03 before the injury; he finished a minus one for the game. Oliver Ekman-Larsson's value to the Maple Leafs blueline Ekman-Larsson has missed three games this season, with none being due to injury. His most recent absence was due to the birth of his child, while he sat out ahead of the trade deadline, for trade purposes. In Ekman-Larsson's absence, the Maple Leafs and Craig Berube are expected to slot Troy Stecher back into the lineup alongside Simon Benoit. The Maple Leafs are expected to keep their top four intact with Morgan Rielly alongside Philippe Myers and Brandon Carlo with Jake McCabe. The Swedish defenceman has been one of the few bright spots this season as he has steadily been one of the best players within the lineup on a nightly basis. Ekman-Larsson has led all Maple Leafs defenseman, currently sitting fifth on the team in points with 38 points, including eight goals in 72 games. Because of Ekman-Larsson's strong play, he earned an invite to play on Team Sweden's Olympic roster, where he suited up on five occasions. The Maple Leafs are going to have to rely on their defensive depth for the remainder of the season, if Oliver Ekman-Larsson is unlikely to return. With just six games remaining on the Maple Leafs schedule, it could be for the best to sit out the defenceman for the remainder of the season.

For the first time since 2015-16, the Toronto Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs. Over the previous nine seasons, the Maple Leafs qualified, which was the longest active streak in the NHL. Maple Leafs miss playoffs for first time in 9 years The Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday officially ended the streak. From the very beginning of the season, this year has just simply felt off; it was their first season without hometown star Mitch Marner, and the inconsistency of their play continued throughout the season. Over the last nine seasons, the Maple Leafs have been labelled a great regular-season team, but when it came time to perform, they often crumbled. With just two series wins over the last nine playoff runs, many needed a change, even if it would make them worse. The offseason saw former general manager Brad Treliving attempt to make up for the absence of Mitch Marner, but that proved to be a difficult task. But many still believed this team would make the postseason, just at a regression from winning the Atlantic Division. A terrible start proved to be too much The Maple Leafs got off to a slow start and saw their record fall below .500 heading into the middle stages of the season. Slight resurgence in late December and into January saw this team have some life and sit in a wild-card spot, but there was too much inconsistency for this formula to hold off. Injuries throughout the season also proved to be too much for this lineup. With players such as John Tavares past his prime and Auston Matthews unable to find his goal-scoring touch, the Maple Leafs had to rely solely on William Nylander to drive the offence. However, Nylander suffered groin injuries throughout the second half of the season, which sent the Maple Leafs on a six-game losing streak when it seemed to matter most. Many are hoping this is just a one-season blimp, and a retool to the roster could be what they needed. For the remainder of the season, Maple Leafs fans hope the losing continues as if they can fall inside the bottom five heading into the lottery their is a good chance they find a way to keep their first round selection this season.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs begin to turn the page to next season, one of the more under-the-radar storylines is the emergence of Bo Groulx and the role he could play moving forward. The Maple Leafs finally gave Groulx his chance when former general manager Brad Treliving decided to make the Maple Leafs sellers ahead of the trade deadline. The Maple Leafs later made three trades involving their forward core, which opened up spots throughout the lineup for a number of different minor league prospects. Groulx has made the most of this opportunity and has earned minutes as the second line centre alongside Matthew Knies and Matias Maccelli. Groulx is producing at every level with the Maple Leafs From the beginning of his Maple Leafs tenure, Groulx has been solid for the Maple Leafs. In 10 games with the Maple Leafs, Groulx has produced 10 points, including three goals, while averaging just north of 15 minutes on ice. With the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, he has registered 50 points in 55 games, nearly producing at a goal per game rate. Groulx has been able to act as a spark plug in any scenario within the Maple Leafs organization, and it is just beginning to show the value he can produce to any NHL team. Searching for answers down the middle of the ice The Maple Leafs have been searching for depth down the middle of the ice since moving on from Nicolas Roy and Auston Matthews' injury. John Tavares is no longer the player he once was, which opens a massive opportunity for many players within the lineup. Bo Groulx instantly caught the attention of the coaching staff, which has earned him minutes within the top six. Groulx plays a style of hockey that any team needs; he is a reliable, in-your-face two-way centre. Standing at 6'2" and over 200 lbs, he combines being a power forward with a responsible defensive game, which gives him minutes on the top penalty kill unit. With major decisions upcoming this offseason, this seems like an easy decision that needs to happen. Bo Groulx has already shown he can contribute at the NHL level while excelling in the AHL on a cheap contract. Based on his production, playing style, and fit within the lineup, he should be considered a lock to start next season as a regular for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' third-period comeback win over the Anaheim Ducks had fans wondering where this type of performance had been all season long. Before the contest began, the Maple Leafs players were dealt the news of the firing of their general manager, Brad Treliving. This was an emotional game right from the beginning of the contest. Leading up to puck drop, everyone knew this was going to be an emotional night. To set the scene, Radko Gudas, on March 12th, laid a dirty knee-on-knee hit that ended Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews' season. With the response being very minimal on March 12th, and the amount of backlash the Maple Leafs received, you knew this game was circled on their calendars. Action packed game from the beginning Just three seconds into the game, Max Domi dropped the gloves with Radko Gudas. Heading into this game, Radko Gudas was not planning on playing. He was out in prior games due to a lower-body injury he suffered after returning from his five-game suspension. This fight was extremely lopsided as Gudas virtually accepted what was going to happen and took the punches from Domi. This continued throughout the night as the Maple Leafs targeted various Ducks players, and it was a physical fight the entirety of the game. For Maple Leafs fans watching this game, you truly wonder why it took them so long to play this style of hockey and understand the need to step up for one another. You can pose the question of whether they did this because of the backlash received or if they truly cared about their captain. For the majority of the night, the Anaheim Ducks were the far better team; they got out to an early 2-0 lead, and later a 3-1 lead heading into the third period. Matthew Knies said postgame, "We were inspired tonight, for sure," and that showed in the third period, as it was one of the best periods of the season. From the very beginning of the period, they were much faster and more desperate. Knies cut the lead to one after a perfectly placed shot that beat Ville Husso over the shoulder. William Nylander later opted to shoot in the same spot to tie the game at 3's on a breakaway. With Leo Carlsson tying the game late after Morgan Rielly gave the Maple Leafs the lead, they didn't panic like we've seen multiple times this season. A back-and-forth overtime saw John Tavares win it for the Maple Leafs with five seconds remaining in the extra frame. The game many fans have wanted This was an effort from the Maple Leafs we haven't seen in the Auston Matthews era. From the start, many knew this game meant more to them. Despite going down multiple times throughout the game, they stayed with it and didn't quit. This is what Maple Leafs fans have been waiting for all season long.