It will be hard for anyone connected with the Maple Leafs, from the coaching staff to the players to the fans, to forget Mitch Marner and what he meant to the team over the past nine seasons.
The high-scoring forward’s departure resonates through the lineup that Brad Treliving has assembled. The Leafs general manager has spread the wealth to deepen the bottom of his lineup even as the top looks weaker.
This version of the Leafs, who play their first pre-season game Sept. 21 in Ottawa, opens training camp in less than three weeks. That’s when we’ll start getting answers to the questions surrounding them.
Matthews spoke publicly for the first time about his friend being traded to the Golden Knights
Is Auston Matthews healthy?
The captain said he was聽during a charity appearance in Brampton, and he took part in the U.S. Olympic orientation camp in Michigan. A healthy Matthews will dictate the pace of the Leafs’ regular season. Even without Marner, a healthy Matthews is a massive scoring threat. An undisclosed injury limited him to 67 games last season and he scored a career-low 33 goals, 36 fewer than in 2023-24. Whether it’s Max Domi, Matias Maccelli or somebody else passing him the puck, a healthy Matthews should return to the 50-goal plateau.
Has the DNA of the team changed?
In a quote that reverberated after the Leafs were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, Treliving said the team’s 鈥淒NA needs to change.鈥 With most of the team returning, it’s probably up to coach Craig Berube to get his players to play a more hard-nosed, checking-first style of game.
Matthew Knies, fresh off signing a six-year, $46.5-million (U.S.) deal, will take on more of a leadership role and he plays a big, bruising style. Two of the new faces,聽forwards Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy, do as well.
Where will the fight for jobs be?
The biggest opening is first-line right winger. Any of Domi, Maccelli, Nick Robertson or Easton Cowan could end up there. Or maybe it’s William Nylander, meaning John Tavares’s line would need to be rebuilt.
But no job is safe further down the lineup with Joshua, Roy, probably Robertson, Scott Laughton, Steve Lorentz, Bobby McMann, David K盲mpf, Calle J盲rnkrok and maybe an NHL calibre nonroster invite or two duking it out for six jobs.
What will the first power-play unit look like?
The Leafs went largely with a five-forward first unit last season, made possible by Marner’s playmaking ability and confidence on the blue line. None of 色色啦’s forwards have that in their DNA, suggesting Morgan Rielly can retake his job on the top unit.
Rielly managed just 41 points last year and his 1.4 points per 60 minutes last season were his lowest output since 2016-17. He doesn’t kill penalties, so the power play is his chance to shine and get back over the 50-point plateau and restore his reputation.
The Timothy Liljegren saga is a cautionary tale when it comes to dollars and Leafs job security.
Will there be a trade or two, or a buyout, or a signing?
Forward Jack Roslovic, who played in Carolina last season, has been linked to the Leafs and free agent Max Pacioretty might return on a professional tryout, even if the Leafs roster that is flush with veterans.
K盲mpf finished the season as a healthy scratch, and carries a $2.4-million cap hit for the next three seasons. J盲rnkrok ($2.1 million) also seemed past his best-before date. One or the other, or both, could be looking for new addresses.
Robertson is another whose future with the team never seems quite settled. He’s a natural goal scorer who doesn’t seem to get top-line minutes. If he’s squeezed out of a third-liner’s job, it’d be easy to see him playing elsewhere.
Is Easton Cowan ready?
Cowan is easily the most talented in a limited pool of Leafs prospects. This will be his third camp, and his first knowing that he will be playing professional hockey in 色色啦. Whether that’s with the Leafs or the Marlies is the only question.
He has become a more well-rounded player since the Leafs drafted him in the first round in 2023, and he can electrify the crowd while generating offence. His talent level is far above some others who are basically guaranteed spots. It’s his decision-making at the pro level that will determine his readiness.
Logic suggests a year with the Marlies will do him a world of good.聽
Will there be a training camp surprise?
Fraser Minten had the spotlight on him last year, but Nikita Grebenkin launched his way to the top of the prospects ladder. Both are gone now, traded at the deadline.
Can somebody else pop up alongside Cowan with a breakthrough training camp? It’s probably too soon to consider defenceman Ben Danford, with another season of junior eligibility ahead. But forwards Jacob Quillan and Luke Haymes might have a chance.
Quillan has a full year with the Marlies under his belt and showed his skills (18 goals) were translatable at least to a bottom-six role. Haymes is entering his first full season as a pro after getting two goals and four assists in nine games with the Marlies when his college season ended. There’s offensive upside to his game.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation