The Toronto Maple Leafs certainly underperformed this past year, missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. Because of that, there has been a slew of changes to all different areas of the organization, including the roster, coaching staff, and front office.

Going into next season, several players on the Maple Leafs have something to prove, either to themselves, the fans, or even to their former teams. If most or all of these listed players can put together a solid campaign in 2026-27, Toronto could be in good shape, despite the unforgiving status of the Atlantic Division.

Here are six players who have the most to prove on the Maple Leafs for next season, in no particular order.

There's no other way to put it than Auston Matthews has been underperforming offensively over the past two years, particularly in 2025-26. Part of that is related to the health issues and injuries he's suffered over that time.

What also comes into play is how Matthews was utilized during Craig Berube's tenure as Toronto's head coach. It may not seem like a coincidence that both of Matthews' down seasons came under the leadership of Berube. The Leafs captain was given a bigger role on the other side of the puck and saw way more starts in the defensive zone than usual.

For reference, in Sheldon Keefe's final year as Leafs head coach, Matthews had 9.9 percent of his shifts start in the D-zone, according to Money Puck. But in the two years under Berube, that number was at 16.3 percent and 13.5 percent, respectively.

Indeed, Matthews has evolved into one of the most talented two-way forwards in the game, but that's not getting the best out of the three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner.

What Matthews has to prove next season - under a familiar face in head coach Jim Hiller and a new system that could unlock his skillset - is that he's still the dominant offensive powerhorse who can score around 50 goals.

Morgan Rielly is another player who might've taken a hit in terms of their performance under Berube's coaching style, probably even more so than Matthews. 

In 2023-24, Rielly posted seven goals and 58 points. That's production that falls above his career average, all while earning the second-highest average time on ice of his 13 years in the NHL.

In contrast,  this past year, the 32-year-old scored 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points. It was his second-highest career total in goals, but his assist and point totals were the lowest of his tenure in a full regular season since 2016-17.

Not only is his offensive production down, an area that signals he's at his best or not, but he's also looked slower, less confident with the puck, and out of place at times.

There's a chance that the Maple Leafs veteran isn't around by the time next season rolls around, but if he is, he'll have so much to prove to his critics, and probably to himself.

After pulling out the best season of his career in 2024-25, Anthony Stolarz will be looking to bounce back from his 2026-27 campaign.

Though he only played 34 games in 2024-25, he was one of the best goaltenders in the NHL when it comes to the numbers. He posted a 2.14 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, along with four shutouts for a 21-8-3 record. He was a big factor in the Maple Leafs having some of the best goaltending in the NHL at the time.

One year later, he was a shadow of that version of himself. The netminder registered a 3.28 GAA and a .893 SP, some of the lowest numbers of Stolarz's career. That campaign came just after he signed the longest contract of his career, a four-year deal at $3.75 million per year.

With a chance to recharge and recover from two straight years that saw him sidelined for an extended time due to injury, Stolarz will be looking to get back on the right foot with his new deal officially kick-starting this coming season.

Darren Raddysh had a season to remember this past year, and it seemingly came out of nowhere. The 30-year-old defenseman notched 22 goals and 70 points, blowing away his previous production of six goals and 37 points in the season prior.

It certainly helped that he was given an elevated role on the back end of the Tampa Bay Lightning, seeing 22:42 of average ice time. Raddysh was also a staple of the team's top power-play unit, scoring 26 points on the man-advantage while sharing the ice with Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel and other stars.

Nonetheless, earning a massive raise on a new contract this summer, $8.5 million in each of the next eight seasons, he'll be looking to prove to the hockey world that this past year wasn't a fluke, and he can truly be a star defenseman for the Maple Leafs.

Sergei Bobrovsky has nothing else to prove in terms of his legacy and NHL career. He's won a pair of Stanley Cups and Vezina Trophies, and is seventh all-time in wins by an NHL goaltender. However, for next season, there are a couple of points that the former Florida Panthers goaltender can make.

For one, the 37-year-old is coming off the worst campaign of his 16-year career, putting up a .877 SP and a 3.07 GAA and a 27-23-1 record. In that sense alone, Bobrovsky will want to prove that he's better than he was in 2025-26, and more wins will only see his legacy grow.

In addition to that motivation, he'll want to prove something to the Florida Panthers, too, his former team. Panthers GM Bill Zito elected to stay away from re-signing the veteran goaltender to a deal that the Leafs were ultimately willing to offer him.

Therefore, the veteran netminder will have a chip on his shoulder in the coming season for a couple of reasons.

Matthew Knies is in a good place when it comes to where he stands on the Maple Leafs' roster. And in the past two years, he's proven to be a clear top-six forward who will help Toronto be successful.

However, with the trade rumors that were attached to his name earlier this off-season, and even at the trade deadline from this past season, maybe the 23-year-old does have something to prove to the organization.

The quality of player that Knies is isn't lost on his teammates, opponents, or the Maple Leafs brass. But even though the majority of the trade rumors were under a different GM, he may want to prove to the organization that they can't be successful without him.

The left winger recorded his second-straight 20-goal season in 2025-26, totalling 23 goals and a career-high 66 points. At his age and the growth he's shown over the years, all signs point to Knies being capable of producing more in the near future.

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