Gavin McKenna has played just three NHL games, but the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie already knows what it’s like to play in a pressure-cooker market like Toronto.
Ahead of Tuesday’s game against Nashville, head coach Jim Hiller discussed the decision to start Anthony Stolarz, managing the goaltenders’ workloads, Gavin McKenna’s adjustment to the NHL spotlight, and Nick Blankenburg’s wait for an opportunity in the lineup.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action tonight against the Nashville Predators in their last game of their first homestand of the 2026-27 season. Unfortunately, it hasn't been as successful as they originally had hoped.
The NHL has had an interesting new millennium. It was a league sans a salary cap when the 2000s started… and then the owners locked the players out for an entire season.
Through the first few games of the 2026-27 NHL season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have seen some good in their top line and some lack of production from their second unit – leading to questions around the make-up of the roster to start the season.
Every rookie has their ‘Welcome to the NHL’ moment. Whether it’s getting beat by a superstar one-on-one or rocked by a gruff defenseman, every player has a unique experience entering the league.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have one more home game before heading out on a three-game road trip through Vegas, Colorado and Utah. They're 1-2. That's not particularly concerning this early in the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly thinks things are in a good place for the team, even if the results have not been stellar to begin the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs first overall pick Gavin McKenna has zero points in his first three NHL games, and the sky is officially falling, depending on who you ask.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz will start Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators, head coach Jim Hiller confirmed. Stolarz won his first start of the year, making 26 saves in a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on September 30.
People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.
The Toronto Maple Leafs resume play tonight after two days off when they host the Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena. While a win would be just what the Leafs need to really get the wheels rolling yet again, it will not be easy.
Fresh off a Calder Cup championship, the Toronto Marlies kicked off their regular season this past Friday night, but it wasn’t the start to the season the club had hoped for.
After a busy offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a shaky start to the 2026-27 season. At the time of this writing, the Maple Leafs have a 1-2-0 record.
Kirill Marchenko and Auston Matthews have been among the NHL’s best shot creators through the opening week of the season. Marchenko, Matthews and Jack Roslovic have operated as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first line through three games.
The pressures of playing in Toronto always seem to magnify slow starts. In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, getting off to a 1-2-0 start has caused some of the fanbase to voice concerns over various players throughout the lineup and what changes should be made to get the club going.
Following the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, much of the conversation centered on decisions made by new head coach Jim Hiller. One that stood out was the ice time for forward Easton Cowan, who broke out in a major way over the first two games of the season.
Gavin McKenna wasn't going to be the Toronto Maple Leafs' savior as an 18-year-old, regardless of where he went in the 2026 NHL Draft. While most Maple Leafs fans wouldn't have expected him to be the team's top forward after three games, they might've expected him to at least have a secondary assist by now.
I've been watching Easton Cowan closely this season, partly because I think he’ll be an important player for the Toronto Maple Leafs and partly because young players are just interesting to watch.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ start to the season hasn’t entirely gone to plan. With a team experiencing so much turnover, it makes sense there would be some growing pains, especially as a new coach brings new systems.
After Monday’s practice, Jim Hiller discussed the Maple Leafs’ offensive-zone play, his patience with the line combinations, Gavin McKenna’s adjustment to the NHL, and the emphasis on getting pucks and traffic to the net during practice.
Steve Simmons got me thinking about Gavin McKenna, although probably not in the way he intended. Simmons wrote about Guy Lafleur and the way we talk about McKenna after only a handful of NHL games.
I don't think anyone had Easton Cowan near the top of the Toronto Maple Leafs' list of questions heading into this season. We knew about Auston Matthews.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are only a few games into the season, so I’ll try not to get too carried away by what I’m seeing. That’s harder to do than it sounds, of course.
John Chayka has not been shy about making big moves since taking over as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, which has included moving on from several mainstays of the organization in recent years.