Unfamiliar Teammates, Darren Raddysh Turnovers, And Other Takeaways From Maple Leafs' Season Opener Against Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped their first game of the 2026-27 NHL season to the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2 at home on Tuesday. There's plenty to unpack from a Maple Leafs team that looks completely different than when they started the 2024-25 regular season.

There were 10 players on the roster who didn't play for the Maple Leafs last season featuring in the season opener. That was very evident in this contest, as were many other aspects of the new-look Leafs. 

Here are the main takeaways from Tuesday's loss.

Toronto played like they were a completely new team filled with players who aren't familiar with each other. And that's exactly what they are. In contrast, they went up against a Canadiens team that has seen very little change over the past year and off-season, just adding veteran Chris Kreider.

As mentioned, the Leafs' roster has been completely overhauled since John Chayka became GM of the franchise. It was very clear that many of these players don't know each other very well. Furthermore, Kirill Marchenko just met his new teammates for the first time on the day of puck drop.

Oftentimes, passes would go astray or just not find the intended recipient, either in a breakout pass from their own zone or even when cycling the puck offensively.

"We had a lot of new guys, and I thought we looked a little bit like a new team today," head coach Jim Hiller said post-game. "We just weren't connecting with our passes. And, you know, I don't know if that has anything to do with nerves or being in the building for the first time and the first time everybody together. So we just weren't clean as a team.

"On the ice, I just think it's just going to take some time until everybody settles into their roles. Everybody wants to do extremely well, and sometimes that's more of a curse than a blessing. And you try to do too much, and you get a little tight. That might have had a little bit to do with some nerves. I don't know that for sure. Hopefully we can bounce back and just be a little cleaner tomorrow night," he added.

The Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday for the first back-to-back of the season.

Darren Raddysh stood out several times on Tuesday evening, and not in a positive way. He was at the hands of several turnovers in the defensive zone, leading to Montreal's first goal and partially on the third.

Furthermore, he was on the ice for all three of the Habs' tallies and had a game-high of five giveaways. He also led the Maple Leafs in ice time, logging 23:47.

"Obviously, you know, not what we wanted," Raddysh said of the Maple Leafs' loss to the Canadiens. "I think personally, myself, I can do a little bit better," he admitted.

This was Raddysh and Rielly's first real test as a defense pair. It didn't go the way they would've wanted it to go, but it is the first of 84 games, and every area of the team needs some getting used to, especially with a short training camp and pre-season.

"It was good to finally play a real game with Morgan and try and build out the chemistry that we've had these few days of training camp," Raddysh said. "Yeah, I just got to get ready for it all."

In Marchenko's first game with Toronto, he was put right on the top line with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic. It was one of the positives of the Leafs' performance on Tuesday, and there appears to be a real harmony with those three players.

"My impressions of him tonight: I mean, he's a big boy," Matthews said of Marchenko. "He can make plays, shoots it. I thought, for what he had to kind of endure the last 24 hours… I thought we had some really good opportunities tonight and some good looks, some good chances. I just think the more, you know, once you get settled in and the more time you're going to get together, you know, the chemistry's going to build more and more."

The Matthews line didn't combine on the scoresheet, but Marchenko got his first point as a Maple Leaf, getting an assist on William Nylander's opening goal. The Russian also had four shots on goal and had 20:08 of ice time.

"I think we all saw some of the things he can do, and him and Auston, I thought Rosie (Roslovic) played really well with him too. So that line was dangerous," Hiller said of Marchenko's game.

Gavin McKenna made his NHL debut on the second line for the Maple Leafs with John Tavares and Nylander, just as they spent all of training camp together and most of the pre-season.

However, later in the contest, Hiller bumped McKenna to the third line with Nick Paul and Colton Sissons, and swapped him with Easton Cowan to the second line. Not long after that switch, Cowan assisted on Toronto's second goal of the night, bringing them within one in the third period.

"I think tonight, you know, it's up another level again," Hiller said of McKenna's debut. "You just keep, you know, taking the test. And he'll be back. So I thought he was all right, but he'll probably want to be better."

To Hiller's point, the 18-year-old rookie certainly did expect more out of himself. He played 15:19 of ice time on Tuesday, had one shot on goal and had a minus-two rating.

"Not great," McKenna said of his performance. "I don't know, I had a couple turnovers. I think I'm glad we're playing again tomorrow so I can bounce back and regroup. Obviously, Montreal is a really good team. They don't give you a whole lot of time and space. So, yeah, I'm just looking forward to getting going again tomorrow."

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