TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joins Gino Reda to discuss how worried Leafs management is with the team’s sluggish start, whether or not the system in Toronto needs to be adjusted, when Joseph Woll can possibly return to the lineup and more.

Gino Reda: Hey, good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blue Jays are doing so well, not all their fans are noticing just how bad the start for them has been. To discuss that more, here’s our Insider Chris Johnston

CJ, a .500 team for the first 11 games of the regular season. One of the worst defensive teams in the entire NHL right now. Leaf fans are a little bit worried. How worried is Leaf management about what they’re seeing so far?

Anthony Stolarz Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) skates on a break in the play during third period NHL hockey action against the Montreal Canadiens in Toronto on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn (Frank Gunn/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Chris Johnston: Well, I don’t sense a deep level of concern at that level just yet, and there are a few reasons for that. This isn’t something you want to lean on as a crutch, but this is a team that has had some sluggish starts in recent years and pulled out of them quite nicely, generally speaking, with a strong November, so I think that there’s that aspect of things.

There are also, when they look at the last batch of games, some things that they like in those games. No one feels good about the score at the end of the game in Columbus, but I think the Leafs felt like they didn’t give up a whole lot in that game. The things they did were pretty glaring: some big turnovers, odd man rushes, and didn’t get enough saves in the game to keep it competitive. But I think that from a process standpoint, they feel like they’re in a good spot.

It doesn’t feel good to get this deep in and be at .500, especially as a team that has pretty high ambition. Whereas the concern meter is probably starting to ratchet up outside the dressing room, and in the city, especially once the people stop watching World Series games every second night. I don’t get that same feeling internally in the building just yet.

Reda: You use the word process. I want to follow up on that. We understand that there’s a shift in the style of play. We understand that there’s an intended shift in the DNA, as Brad Treliving mentioned. What would you tell a Leaf fan in terms of how much longer this process has to be painful before they can start seeing dividends being paid for a new style of play that can be successful in the postseason as well as the regular season? My question is, how long is this going to take to turn around, CJ?

Craig Berube Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube speaks with this players during a timeout in second period NHL hockey action against the Nashville Predators in Toronto on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette (Nathan Denette/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Johnston: I don’t have the crystal ball for that, but I would say it shouldn’t take much longer. Perhaps the system itself might need further looking at, at some point here. This is obviously, for any team, a bit of a work in progress.

There is some hope on the horizon for the Leafs. Scott Laughton, who has been out since training camp, could make his debut as soon as Saturday, with the team being back in Philadelphia, his former home.

That’s obviously just one piece of the puzzle in a bottom-six forward for the Leafs. I think getting healthier will help them. They’ve played some games now without William Nylander, who’s been in and out, and they’re managing an injury situation with him.

The goaltending hasn’t been at the rate it’s been in the past, but I think that there’s a confidence level once Joseph Woll gets back to being able to play and they give Anthony Stolarz proper amounts of rest and replicate what worked so well last year.

And then ultimately, let’s face it, Auston Matthews has not scored at a rate we’re used to seeing. The good news, if you want to call it that, is that it sounds as though there are no injury issues with him. This isn’t a repeat of last season, in which he just couldn’t physically get to a place he wanted to be. Right now, it’s more about execution, about trying to find a way to get him the puck in more dangerous areas of the ice to allow him to do what he does best.

I think that you look at all those various factors, and the Leafs feel like it will be there for them in the near future here.

Reda: Joseph Woll is back with the team right now, but obviously, he’s got to get some games in the minors before he’s ready to join the big club. What are we looking at in terms of his timeline? Stolarz is a tired guy. Their save percentage as a team is 29th in the league right now. Is it a week? Is it a little longer than a week before we see Joseph Woll back and playing with the big club?

Joseph Woll Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) looks on late in third period NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey action against the Florida Panthers, in Toronto, Sunday, May 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Johnston: There’s no crystallized plan with Woll. A lot of this will depend on how he’s feeling. Obviously, he was away from the team for quite some time, and while he did skate a little bit when he was on his own and not with the team, it’s not nearly the same as going through a training camp and doing the normal schedule he would have through September.

What I can tell you is that the Leafs play a back-to-back at the end of next week, November 8 and 9. It doesn’t seem likely that he would be in the mix for that at this point. It does feel like he’s going to need a little more time before making his next start.

Beyond that, the Leafs only play one more back-to-back in their schedule at the end of November. Their schedule is a little easier for them. It’s not quite as paced as the way it was through October, and so I think that will be a window to get them back there.

But as you mentioned, I would expect he will go to the American Hockey League to get some time, but at this point, there’s no precise plan for that. It’s going to take a little bit more work for Joseph Woll to get back to a spot where he’s ramping up and is in consideration to take a spot in the crease.

Reda: Philosophically, where do you think the Leafs management is right now? Be patient, it’s okay, we’re coming around, we’ve got all the talent we need to get where we want to go. Or are they out there aggressively looking to bring in people who are able to accomplish what Craig Berube is trying to teach here?

Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton celebrates his overtime goal against the Detroit Red Wings in Toronto on Thursday, April 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton celebrates his overtime goal against the Detroit Red Wings in Toronto on Thursday, April 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

Johnston: I think that they’re still probably on the aggressive side of things. We’re not seeing a whole lot of action around the league just yet, but certainly Brad Treliving is a general manager who has a lot of conversations, who likes to be in and know what’s happening when it comes to transactions around the league.

With Scott Laughton coming back, it doesn’t sound as though, at this point, there’s any push to put Easton Cowan down in the American Hockey League. The Leafs have some roster decisions pending here in the near future as they get healthier and bring back a player like Scott Laughton. They’ve got David Kampf playing in the American Hockey League.

I still think there is going to be some shuffling that happens with this roster. Big picture, they certainly want to add to their top six. I don’t know that that’s something that can be accomplished right here, right now, at the end of October and early days of November, but that will be maintained as a priority.

While there’s no one panicking, I also don’t think they’re putting their feet up and saying this will take care of itself. I think it’s somewhere a little bit more in the middle, where they’re looking for opportunities to have some improvements to the roster being made, and I don’t think they’ll hesitate at all to be aggressive. In fact, you know they might have to make some kind of moves here in the coming days, even just to get a player like Laughton back in their lineup.