Just one day before the NHL begins its three-day holiday break, the Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen to last place in the Eastern Conference. Ironically, it was former Maple Leafs prospect Mason Marchment who scored two power-play goals on Monday to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
That result highlights a glaring disparity: a single former prospect matched the entire output of the Toronto power play, which has managed only two goals on the man-advantage throughout its last 10 games in December. This persistent inefficiency recently forced the club to part ways with assistant coach Marc Savard, who had overseen the power-play unit for a season-and-a-half.
The last time the Leafs found themselves at the bottom of the conference this late in the calendar was during the 2015-16 season. That year, Toronto finished last in the league and subsequently won the NHL Draft Lottery, using the No. 1 overall pick to select current team captain and cornerstone Auston Matthews.
However, the current situation differs significantly from that total rebuild. Today, the Leafs are navigating a crisis of confidence following a winless three-game road trip through Washington, Nashville, and Dallas. Despite high preseason expectations of a Stanley Cup run, the team now finds itself searching for answers.
The silver lining for Toronto is the current parity within the Eastern Conference. With every team maintaining a points percentage of at least .500, the Leafs remain only six points out of a playoff spot. While a 15-5-5 record suggests there is plenty of time to recover, the team certainly has its work cut out for them as 2026 approaches. The Leafs return to action Tuesday afternoon, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins with a vital opportunity to climb out of the conference basement.