The Toronto Maple Leafs will report for training camp soon before the start of the 2025-26 campaign. It was an offseason of change for the organization, as the team parted ways with president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan and bid farewell to homegrown star Mitch Marner. The decision not to renew Shanahan’s contract hardly came as a surprise, and the writing had been on the wall for a while that the club’s core group needed to change.
Keith Pelley, president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, plans to work closely with general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube to shape the roster. There weren’t any impactful players available in free agency, but Treviling has reportedly been examining the trade market for a top-six replacement. There could still be new additions to the camp roster, but as it stands currently, the Maple Leafs have some battles to monitor before the regular season begins.
Spot on the Top Line
Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies will need a new linemate in 2025-26 after playing most of the previous season with Marner. While William Nylander is the team’s top right winger, keeping him alongside John Tavares on the second line better balances the offensive attack. Still, Berube may move the 29-year-old Nylander up when the club needs a goal.
After acquiring him from the Utah Mammoth in the summer, the Maple Leafs intend to utilize Matias Maccelli in the top six. He would relish the opportunity to play with Matthews in the 2025-26 campaign. “I would definitely love that,” he told reporters in July. “Playing with a guy like that would be great. I’ll make sure I’ll be in shape. If I get a chance to play with Auston or any of the top guys in Toronto.” Maccelli’s playmaking skills would be put to good use with Matthews and Knies or Nylander and Tavares.
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Another option would be to promote Max Domi. Despite his struggles offensively during his first two seasons in Toronto, he has performed well when he’s played alongside Matthews in the past. Domi had 11 assists and 12 points in the final 13 games of the 2023-24 campaign while playing on the top combination. Domi and Matthews controlled 63.89 percent of the goals (GF%), 61.50 percent of the scoring chances (SCF%), and 68.24 percent of the high-danger chances (HDCF%) in 206:54 of five-on-five playing time together that season. The sample size for the duo was smaller (56:42) in 2024-25, but the results were impressive once again with a 60.00 GF%, 64.00 SCF%, and 91.67 HDCF%.
There could be plenty of experimenting during camp. Maccelli and Domi have the potential to be solid fits, and the nuclear option of moving Nylander for stretches will probably be a popular in-game adjustment. Another possible lineup change, depending on the game situation, is adding Nicolas Roy to the top-line winger slot in a defensive role to help close out games.
Crowded Bottom Six
After it was a glaring hole in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers, the Maple Leafs took measures to improve the bottom-six forward group. Toronto got much deeper down the middle by obtaining Roy from the Vegas Golden Knights. Dakota Joshua, another offseason acquisition, came over in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. They both add size and two-way ability to Toronto’s bottom six, and Joshua possesses bounce-back appeal if he can stay healthy.
Nicolas Roy, Vegas Golden Knights (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
The Maple Leafs re-signed Steven Lorentz and Nicholas Robertson. While Lorentz will probably return to a fourth-line role, Robertson’s place remains unclear. The 23-year-old Robertson had 15 goals on 112 shots and 22 points across 69 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. He sat as a healthy scratch frequently, including for most of the playoffs, and appears to be the odd man out going into the upcoming campaign. He had five goals and two assists in eight productive outings after returning from the press box last season. However, there were consistency issues, and he was unable to secure a spot in the lineup. The odds of him getting traded at some point appear to be increasing.
Toronto also brought in Michael Pezzetta, Vinni Lettieri, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, and Travis Boyd during free agency. They are unlikely to crack the Maple Leafs’ roster out of camp. However, their chances of being an auxiliary option improve if any combination of Robertson, David Kampf, and Calle Jarnkrok gets dealt.
Goalie Duo Duel
Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll proved to be an outstanding goaltending tandem in the 2024-25 season. After Woll began the campaign on injured reserve because of a groin issue, Stolarz played in the first seven games. After that rocky start, Woll finally stayed healthy and took over the crease when Stolarz missed 24 consecutive contests due to a knee injury.
Both netminders were ready to step up at any moment and were legitimate difference-makers on a team that failed to dictate the pace habitually last season. In 5-on-5 situations, the Maple Leafs ranked 29th in the league in Corsi for percentage, 23rd in expected goals for percentage, and 20th in scoring chances for percentage. The goaltending held up more often than not, and they will likely be leaned on again in the 2025-26 season.
If injuries don’t play a factor, it could be a game-by-game rotation. The coaches could also allow them to string together some starts if a particularly outstanding performance occurs or if one of them goes on a heater. Stolarz, a potential unrestricted free agent next summer, has plenty of motivation to carry over his momentum, while Woll still has room to grow despite a strong start to his NHL career.
Other Areas to Monitor
The Maple Leafs don’t have much wiggle room when it comes to the defence corps unless trades or injuries occur, but Henry Thrun, Philippe Myers, Dakota Mermis, and Matt Benning will be in the mix for a depth role. A spot on the top power-play unit is also up for grabs in 2025-26, though training camp may not be the best indicator of what the team is planning, especially in the early going.
It’s usually a time to play around with different looks and give young prospects a chance to shine in larger roles. As such, fans shouldn’t be shocked if Easton Cowan receives a long look, but beginning his professional career in the American Hockey League would be a wise move for his development. Still, more clues could emerge as roster cuts occur and the final group for opening night begins to take shape. The team could shake things up with a trade or another signing to bolster its offensive depth. Either way, there will be several players in new roles for the Maple Leafs when the 2025-26 season begins, and getting a glimpse of the decisions during camp will be interesting.
Analytics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
