Grading Every New Toronto Maple Leaf At The 20-Game Mark

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a disappointing start to the 2026-27 regular-season, posting an 8-10-2 record while losing six of their last seven games.

Maple Leafs GM John Chayka radically restructured his roster this past summer, bringing in a whopping 10 new players through trades and free agency.

With approximately one-quarter of the season completed, it’s a great time to offer our grades for each new Leafs player. In alphabetical order, here are The Hockey News’ grades for first-year Maple Leafs players.

Stats: 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points

Grade: A

Why: Blueger isn't on the ice a lot – his 13:15 average TOI is fifth-lowest on the team among regulars on the roster – but he's done a bang-up job as a fourth-line fixture and an elite penalty-killer.

Blueger's average of 2:53 of short-handed time leads all Maple Leafs forwards. The 32-year-old's $2.5-million salary makes him one of the team's best bargains, and he's a key reason the Buds' PK is in the fifth-best in the league. 

Stats: 3-8-2 record, .881 save percentage, 3.47 goals against average

Grade: D-

Why: Bobrovsky came to Toronto as one of the NHL's most accomplished goaltenders, but he's been Toronto's biggest disappointment. He's given up at least three goals in 12 of his 13 starts this season, and while some of the blame for that must go to the defense in front of him, Bobrovsky's -2.3 goals saved above expected suggests he's not holding up his end of the bargain.

Chayka has spoken of Bobrovsky's historical slow starts, but his inability to give the Buds a chance to win is going to force head coach Jim Hiller to lean heavily on Anthony Stolarz. If Bobrovsky doesn't turn his season around soon, Toronto's playoff hopes could be sunk.

Stats: 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points

Grade: A

Why: Another member of Toronto's excellent fourth line, Duhaime has brought nastiness and defensive strength to the team. The 29-year-old has never had more than nine goals and 21 points in a single season, but he's not earning $2.9 million to be on the scoresheet every night. So long as he makes life difficult on opponents, he's doing what he's asked to do.

Stats: 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points

Grade: A+

Why: With an average of 8:17 of ice time per game, MacEwen is Toronto's least-used forward. While he was brought in to add snarl to the Maple Leafs' attack, MacEwen has chipped in with more offense than anyone anticipated.

The 30-year-old is earning only $875,000, and he's on track to easily outperform his salary as long as he maintains a role in the lineup.

Stats: 6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points

Grade: A

Why: Chayka stunned the hockey world when he traded star winger Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Marchenko. While he's missed the past six games with a lower-body injury, he's been everything the Maple Leafs could've hoped for, producing at a point-per-game pace and providing more speed and skill than Knies was giving them.

Even when his new contract extension kicks in next season at an average of $12.5 million per season, it looks like he's still going to be one of Toronto's most valuable assets. 

Stats: 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points

Grade: B-

Why: As the 2026 first-overall pick, McKenna entered the season with understandably high expectations. On the offensive side of things, he's been fantastic, showing great playmaking skills and finishing touches that will only get better.

Unfortunately, the 18-year-old has been a defensive sinkhole, making glaring errors that have led to him being benched by Hiller on multiple occasions. There's a clear learning curve, but considering he's often played on the third line with linemates who don't have his vision and craftiness with the puck, McKenna deserves an above-average grade. 

Stats: 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points

Grade: A+

Why: Paul was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning ostensibly to be part of Toronto's bottom-six group of forwards. But the injury to star center John Tavares resulted in more opportunities for Paul, and he's made the most of them, using his 6-foot-4 frame to create time and space for his linemates.

While Tavares' return has pushed Paul back to the third line, he's been one of Toronto's better penalty killers, and his $3.15-million salary provides great value for the organization. 

Stats: 1 goal, 11 assists, 12 points

Grade: A

Why: While he hasn't filled the net in at the same rate he did with the Lightning last season, Raddysh's 12 points in 20 games has still proved to be important for a Maple Leafs team that desperately lacked offense from the blueline.

Raddysh is also Hiller's most relied-upon player, leading Toronto with an average of 23:54 TOI per game, which is over three minutes more than the next player on the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews. It hasn't been the same as last season for Raddysh, and that was always going to be difficult to replicate, but he's undoubtedly been one of Chayka's best acquisitions.

Stats: 9 goals, 11 assists, 20 points

Grade: A+

Why: Roslovic has bounced around the league, but he's seemingly found his footing on his sixth roster with the Maple Leafs. He's been a great complimentary piece for Matthews on the team's top line, posting nine goals and 20 points in 19 games while earning just $4 million for this season and next.

Even if he gets dropped down the lineup once Marchenko returns from injury, Roslovic is still one of the Buds' most important additions, and he looks like he's finally found a long-term home.

Stats: 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points

Grade: B+

Why: The Maple Leafs brought in Sissons as a bottom-six forward, and he served as the team's third-line center until he suffered an injury this week that will sideline him for a spell.

While the 33-year-old's offense isn't impressive, he's been a great penalty killer and the team's best faceoff man, winning a stellar 59.9 percent of his draws. That's well ahead of his career face-off win percentage of 54.0, but Sissons' stinginess, elite checking and all-around sour disposition is what the Maple Leafs need more of.

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