NHL Off-Season Rankings: No. 2, Toronto Maple Leafs

Regardless of what they do in any given summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs are always going to be a compelling story.

Being in the NHL’s biggest market – and the league’s most valuable team – means that the Maple Leafs have huge fanbase with an insatiable appetite for news and analysis.

This summer, new general manager John Chayka was one of the league’s busiest executives, pulling off nearly 10 additions, giving those fans a ton of news to dive into. And in TheHockeyNews.com’s series ranking each team’s off-season, the Maple Leafs rank second.

Rankings criteria for our list includes roster arrivals and departures, as well as coaching or GM changes, and contract extensions. 

In many regards, the stakes couldn’t be much higher for the Buds. If they can get back in the Stanley Cup playoffs after missing out on them in 2025-26 and maybe even win a round or two, the Leafs will have a good chance at retaining captain Auston Matthews for the long-term. 

If not? Well, let’s just say next summer’s moves will be even more momentous for Toronto. Let’s break down the Maple Leafs' changes from the off-season and discuss where their competitive future stands.

Sergei Bobrovsky (G), Darren Raddysh (D), John Chayka (GM), Jim Hiller (coach), Jack Roslovic (RW), Colton Sissons (C), Brandon Duhaime (LW), Nick Paul (LW), Teddy Blueger (C), Zach MacEwen (RW), Emil Andrae (D)

That’s right, the Maple Leafs have 10 new players on the roster. That’s a stunning amount of turnover, but the ugly way that Toronto finished last season meant major change was necessary, and Chayka fully embraced the challenge by making meaningful changes at every position.

The most consequential change is in net, with longtime Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky signing a three-year contract at $7 million per season. Bobrovsky has nothing to prove to anyone after winning two championships, but he’s going to be under the spotlight in Toronto like ever before.

And at nearly 38 years old, Father Time is not on Bobrovsky’s side. But he and returning goalie Anthony Stolarz are reprising their tandem from their Panthers days, and goaltending could be a key strength for the Buds.

The next-biggest addition was blueliner Darren Raddysh, who had a phenomenal season with the Tampa Bay Lightning before accepting a sign-and-trade to Toronto on a contract paying the 30-year-old $8.5 million per-year through 2033-34.

Raddysh had 70 points in 73 games last season, and it’s probably unfair to expect something at that level. But make no mistake – he will be held to a high standard from Game 1 of the season, and if he falters, Leafs fans will let him know.

Finally, the other big move from Chayka was the near-complete makeover of the Maple Leafs’ bottom-six forwards. Out the door went players like Calle Jarnkrok, Matias Maccelli and Nick Robertson. And in came Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime, Nick Paul and Teddy Blueger.

None of the new Maple Leafs are perfect players, but are they an upgrade on the group that opponents easily had their way with last year? Absolutely.

Joseph Woll (G), Matias Maccelli (LW), Nick Robertson (LW), Calle Jarnkrok (C), Brandon Carlo (D), Simon Benoit (D), Henry Thrun (D); Craig Berube (coach) 

For a considerable period of time, Joseph Woll was seen as Toronto’s long-term solution in net. But he’s had trouble staying healthy, and at 28 years old, his injury woes could be just beginning. Still, Woll is going to get a good opportunity with the Philadelphia Flyers, and his former Maple Leafs teammates no doubt wish him well.

Otherwise, there was good reason for Chayka to part ways with the players he moved on from.

Matias Maccelli was a failed one-year experiment, Nick Robertson never could put together a strong stretch of hockey despite numerous chances, Brandon Carlo was shipped out to the St. Louis Blues in a payroll dump, and Calle Jarnkrok was a repeated healthy scratch who went home to Sweden.

The Maple Leafs have elected to give it one more go with their core talent, and the moves that were made – other than Woll – all feature players they could afford to cut loose. Some of those players may thrive with new teams, but for one reason or another, they all wore out their welcome with the Maple Leafs.

After their calamitous 2025-26 season, there was no chance the Maple Leafs were going to look the same, but few people predicted the extent of the change the new management regime would implement.

That said, the Maple Leafs are still only going to go as far as their core of Matthews, John Tavares, WIlliam Nylander and Matthew Knies will carry them. But with a supremely-skilled rookie in McKenna, Toronto may have the next young playmaking wizard to rejuvenate the Buds’ top line.

Is there a real risk things fall apart for the Maple Leafs for the second straight season? There’s no doubt about it. If Bobrovsky can’t be better – much better – than he was last season, there’s going to be incredible pressure on Stolarz to stay healthy, and he hasn’t been able to do that.

The Raddysh acquisition has its potential pitfalls. The bottom-six forwards could prove ineffective. McKenna may not adapt to the NHL as a superstar in his first year. Jim Hiller could prove to be the wrong coach for this team. Any one of those potential developments could help to crush Toronto’s playoff aspirations. 

For now, though, Chayka has A) given the Leafs excellent forward depth, B) signed the best free-agent defenseman on the market in Raddysh, and C) signed the most accomplished goalie on the market. That’s about as good as it gets for any team’s off-season, and that’s why we’ve put only one team ahead of Toronto on this list. 

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