The Toronto Maple Leafs will open the 2026-27 NHL regular season against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Sept. 29, carrying a rebuilt roster, a new front office and a new coach into a season that begins with little room for a slow start.
Toronto finished 32-36-14 last season, eighth in the Atlantic Division and outside the Stanley Cup Playoffs. General manager John Chayka and special adviser Mats Sundin arrived May 3, with Jim Hiller subsequently taking over behind the bench for his first season as Maple Leafs coach.
The overhaul continued on the ice. Sergei Bobrovsky is Toronto’s new No. 1 goaltender, while Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae join the blue line. Up front, the Maple Leafs added Gavin McKenna, Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons and Brandon Duhaime.
With training camp lasting less than two weeks, captain Auston Matthews brought teammates together in Arizona shortly before the Montreal opener. The immediate task is finding combinations and building trust before the standings begin to tighten.
Bobrovsky holds the key in goal
Toronto’s playoff hopes may rest heavily on which version of Bobrovsky arrives. The 38-year-old was 27-23-1 in 52 games, including 51 starts, for the Florida Panthers last season. His 3.07 goals-against average, .877 save percentage and four shutouts marked a difficult 2025-26 campaign.
The Maple Leafs are betting on a return to the form that helped Florida win the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025. Only 15 months ago, Bobrovsky went 16-7 in the postseason with a 2.20 GAA and .914 save percentage on the way to a championship. The two-time Cup winner believes he can rebound, and Toronto needs him to do exactly that.
Anthony Stolarz is projected as the backup, giving Hiller an experienced tandem while the club attempts to climb back into the Eastern Conference race.
McKenna enters a favorable Toronto room
McKenna, the 18-year-old forward from Whitehorse, Yukon, arrives as the No. 1 pick from the 2026 NHL Draft after Toronto won the lottery. Chayka called the opportunity fortunate, and the teenager joins a lineup where he will not be asked to carry the franchise alone.
Matthews has already seen “flashes” from McKenna in two preseason appearances, both in terms of his current game and his ceiling. The rookie also has an unusual support group around him: Sundin was the first pick in 1989 by the Quebec Nordiques, Matthews went first in 2016, and John Tavares was selected first by the New York Islanders in 2009.
McKenna is living with Tavares and his family, and could begin his NHL career on a line with Tavares and William Nylander. That would place the rookie beside established scorers rather than forcing him into the role usually handed to a top pick on a thin roster.
Cowan and Tanev draw camp praise
Easton Cowan appears set for a larger role after an uneven first NHL season. The 21-year-old posted 11 goals and 18 assists in 66 games in 2025-26 while moving throughout the lineup. Determined to take a step forward, Cowan regularly arrived at the Maple Leafs’ practice facility before 6 a.m. during the summer for workouts.
That work has been noticed. Matthews listed Cowan and defenseman Chris Tanev among Toronto’s most overlooked performers in camp. Hiller has used Cowan on both special teams in the preseason and values the flexibility he brings. The forward known around the room as “Cowboy” could be positioned for a breakout year.
Tanev is trying to put two injury-hit seasons behind him. Since joining his hometown team in the summer of 2024, the 36-year-old has missed 78 of Toronto’s 164 games and appeared only 11 times last season.
“Watching is more nerve-racking for a player than playing,” Tanev said.
He underwent core muscle surgery in New York City on March 4 and has looked healthy in camp, drawing positive reviews from Matthews and other teammates. A full season from Tanev would provide a major boost to a defense group that includes Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Roslovic brings speed and finishing
Roslovic could help fill out Toronto’s scoring beyond its familiar stars. The 29-year-old had 21 goals and 15 assists in 69 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season, including a career-best five game-winning goals. He spent time alongside Connor McDavid, and the two figured on eight of the same goals.
In Toronto, Roslovic is projected to start alongside Matthews and Matthew Knies. His skating gives him a chance to fit with either Matthews or Tavares if Hiller reshuffles his top six.
Roslovic recorded 21 speed bursts above 22 mph last season, placing him in the 97th percentile among NHL forwards. He also led the most recent free-agent class with 13 goals off the rush, defined as scores within five seconds of entering the offensive zone. His average draft position of 130.5 makes him a potential late fantasy option, but his more important value to Toronto may be his ability to add another finishing threat in transition.
Projected Maple Leafs lineup
| Position | Projected unit |
|---|---|
| First line | Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Jack Roslovic |
| Second line | Gavin McKenna — John Tavares — William Nylander |
| Third line | Nick Paul — Colton Sissons — Easton Cowan |
| Fourth line | Dakota Joshua — Teddy Blueger — Brandon Duhaime |
| Defense pair 1 | Morgan Rielly — Darren Raddysh |
| Defense pair 2 | Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev |
| Defense pair 3 | Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Emil Andrae |
| Goaltenders | Sergei Bobrovsky; Anthony Stolarz |
For Toronto, the opening weeks will be about more than a new coach’s systems or a reshaped depth chart. The Maple Leafs need their newcomers to settle quickly, their veteran goaltender to rediscover championship form, and their core to establish the pace before the Atlantic Division gets away from them again.
