The Toronto Maple Leafs were among the teams being talked about after last season concluded. The topic? Who was going to replace star Mitch Marner, who was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. The question remains today and after some changes are the Maple Leafs looking to replace that production from within? It remains to be seen but the roster will have a different feel to it this season. After losing to the Florida Panthers four games to three in last season's playoffs, Toronto has a lot to prove this season.
GM Treliving changes the look of the roster
After last season GM Brad Treliving knew he could lose Marner and did. However, he did not go out and make a blockbuster move. Why? The only answer is that he saw one player has and could replace Marner in the lineup, but not his production. Young star Matthew Knies has all of the potential in the world and now there is a lot of pressure on his shoulders to produce and make up some of the offense that left with Marner. We are going to find out what he is made of because he will get every opportunity to show now that there is offense to be had. A skilled player, Knies is now going to be in the limelight to show what he can do after signing a six-year deal.
Knies was not the only player who was part of the Maple Leafs transactions over the summer. Treliving also traded for forward Dakota Joshua, Matias Maccelli, and Nicolas Roy, who was part of the Marner trade. Defenseman Henry Thrun was also brought in as a depth piece. Signed for the 2025-26 season were forwards Michael Pezzetta and Steven Lorentz. The roster may be deeper up font but it also has a different feel at the forward position.
Is the defense good enough to win games?
With the addition of Thrun, the defense now looks like this- Morgan Reilly, Christopher Tanev, Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Simon Benoit, and Connor Timmins. This may be the best defensive group that Toronto has had in awhile. Yes, there are flaws but overall the team is solid enough to win games by playing a solid defensive game. While anything can happen during the season, another season of this group together should help make this team a better overall club.
Will Hildeby take that next step?
Toronto goaltender Dennis Hildeby is still a top goaltending prospect by most of the Toronto faithful bt he has a ways to go. Last season, he went 3-3 with a 3.32 goals against average and a .872 save percentage. He did not perform well but he is still developing and did see NHL action, which will only help his development.
While Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll will be the goaltending duo heading into the 2025-26 season, do not be surprised if Hildeby gets more NHL starts and starts raising some eyebrows. Is he an NHL starter today? No, but he can develop into one over the next few seasons. he still has time and the Maple Leafs are in no rush with the tandem they have now. He is on their radar and could take a big step this season.