The Toronto Maple Leafs began their season with a 3-2 loss to their rival Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. It wasn't the easiest situation for Toronto, as they tried to introduce Kirill Marchenko to the first line without him ever skating with the team. Meanwhile, Gavin McKenna had a slow start to his career, which isn't as surprising as some may have you believe for the 18-year-old.

Wednesday night, the Maple Leafs will host the New York Islanders on the second night of their back-to-back, while the Islanders have been waiting in Toronto to play their season-opening game. After starting the year 1-0 on our daily pick by taking the Canadiens over the Maple Leafs, we'll stay in the hockey mecca to try to turn another profit. 

Bet: Maple Leafs ML
Odds: -125
Sportsbook: BetMGM Sportsbook
Record: 1-0
All betting lines are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict, so please gamble responsibly.

The Maple Leafs entered the 2026-27 season with plenty of hope, thanks to their draft lottery win this past summer and John Chayka's tidy work to land Kirill Marchenko just minutes before the roster deadline. There was plenty of optimism, but expecting Toronto to win on opening night, with all that surrounding them and a first-line winger who hadn't skated with the team or even worn his new gear before, was a tall order against last year's Eastern Conference Final runner-ups. 

As we all know, the noise gets loud early in Toronto, and the fanbase has already found their next target in Darren Raddysh, who had a less-than-ideal start to his Maple Leafs career. The Maple Leafs will feel the pressure if they lose back-to-back home games to start the season, which is why this feels like a must-win for Jim Hiller's team, and they'll treat it as such. 

Peter DeBoer can make the Islanders better than they look on paper, but there are plenty of reasons to doubt they'll be a playoff team as currently constructed. 

New York will start the season without Mathew Barzal, and their depth already looks questionable without him, as Leafs fans likely look at Matias Maccelli on the team's second line and wonder what they are thinking. Add in young players trying to adapt to new roles, Logan Stanley on the third pair after missing training camp, and Brayden Schenn playing an elevated role in Barzal's absence, and the Islanders could have a slow start. 

Will new captain Bo Horvat, Norris candidate Matthew Schaefer, and Vezina winner Ilya Sorokin be enough to drag the Islanders into the fight? On most nights, yes, but the Maple Leafs should control this first game.