Toronto Maple Leafs: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Maple Leafs shouldn't rush Gavin McKenna into the top six

The justifiable hype surrounding Gavin McKenna has essentially already anointed him into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top-six forward group. Despite the evident high-end talent the 18-year-old boasts, there is an argument to be made for starting him in the team’s bottom six.

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The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

The Maple Leafs Are Rebuilding Without Calling It a Rebuild

There is something I find interesting about the Maple Leafs signing Brendan Brisson to a one-year contract. On the surface, it's not exactly the kind of move that gets anybody excited.

William Nylander News / The Hockey Writers / September 4

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Nylander, Loyalty & Toronto Enters a New Era

There is something a little funny about William Nylander talking about loyalty earlier this summer. Not because Nylander has done anything wrong, but because the Toronto Maple Leafs have spent the offseason making some pretty significant changes to the group he has spent most of his NHL career with.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 4

Maple Leafs have the pieces to build a fourth line opponents will hate

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have finally figured out how to make their fourth line a weapon. After completely overhauling their bottom six, Toronto now has an abundance of physical, defensively responsible forwards, and that could give the Leafs a fourth line unlike anything they've had in recent years.

Macklin Celebrini News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

How many of the players to grace the cover of each EA NHL video game going back to 'NHL 2000?"

The 'First-overall NHL Draft picks' quiz

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The 'Most NHL goals all-time' quiz

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Inside The Rink / September 4

Maple Leafs High in Analysts’ Offseason Rankings

The Toronto Maple Leafs were among Martin Biron’s top five teams of the offseason after free agency started. Over a month later, the former NHL goaltender and current TSN analyst still holds the same view.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The best and worst NHL free agency deals since 2000

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.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 4

Maple Leafs continue to be linked to intriguing former Canadiens sniper before season

The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a very busy offseason this year. They have added several new players to their roster this summer after their ugly 2025-26 season, including Darren Raddysh, Sergei Bobrovsky, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Emil Andrae, Brandon Duhaime, and Nick Paul.

NHL News / NHL Trade Talk / September 4

Maple Leafs’ Brendan Brisson signing just created a potentially big problem

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year contract. The 24-year-old spent last season with the New York Rangers and their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, tallying an assist in three NHL games and 37 points in 66 AHL games.

NHL News / TheLeafsnation / September 4

Maple Leafs sign Brendan Brisson to 1-year contract

Ahead of training camp, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not initially disclosed.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / September 4

2 Maple Leafs appear on The Athletic’s Top 145 under-23 players

The Toronto Maple Leafs enter the 2026-27 season with the expectation that a bounce back is coming following last year’s disappointment. While much of

NHL News / Yardbarker

The defining figure for every NHL franchise

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.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 4

Maple Leafs need Jim Hiller to solve this major problem before training camp

The Craig Berube era for the Toronto Maple Leafs went sideways because of his stubbornness to play a style that wasn't fully suited to the roster that was constructed.

Artur Akhtyamov News / Pension Plan Puppets / September 4

2026 T25U25: Artur Akhtyamov is #8

It's game #3 of the Calder Cup Final. I ask Spiros Anasatas, head coach of the Chicago Wolves, who have yet to win a game in the series why his team is struggling with the Toronto Marlies after trouncing the Grand Rapids Griffins, notionally the best team in the league.

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The 'Most starts by an NFL QB' quiz

The 'Multiple 3-HR games in a season' quiz

The 'Season sack leaders by team' quiz

The 'Last 3-HR game by MLB team' quiz

Troy Stecher News / TheLeafsnation / September 4

What does a successful 2026-27 season look like for Troy Stecher?

Troy Stecher joined the Toronto Maple Leafs last November, in a waiver claim that really didn’t draw too much attention around the league. Stecher was a journeyman defenceman, who ran out of real estate in Edmonton, before the Leafs swooped in and made the claim on November 15.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 4

3 under-the-radar Maple Leafs prospects fans need to watch this season

The Toronto Maple Leafs have recently focused on rebuilding their prospect pipeline. No longer are they shedding young talent or trading away draft picks for nothing in return, causing them to have nothing of a future.

Braeden Kressler News / Inside The Rink / September 3

ECHL: Braeden Kressler Joins Reading Royals

The Reading Royals have announced that they’ve signed forward Braeden Kressler for the 2026-27 season. Kressler, 23, has spent parts of the last two seasons in the ECHL with the Cincinnati Cyclones, putting up 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points in 32 games after signing an Entry-Level Deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs in October 2021.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / NHL Trade Talk / September 3

One Analyst’s Case: Why the Maple Leafs Will Bounce Back

TSN’s Martin Biron isn’t backing off his optimism about Toronto. He ranked the Toronto Maple Leafs among his top five offseasons right after free agency, and a month later he’s still saying the same thing on OverDrive.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Daily Faceoff / September 3

Canadian PM Mark Carney pokes fun at Leafs

A person who lives in Ottawa making fun of the Toronto Maple Leafs? Color me shocked. While visiting Thunder Bay, Ont., on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a plan to build and repair 313 VIA Rail passenger cars.

Bobby McMann News / Professor Press Box / September 3

The Maple Leafs Lost the Bobby McMann Trade in More Ways Than One

There’s an interesting look today at all 20 trades Brad Treliving made while he was Maple Leafs general manager, with TheLeafsNation’s Alex Hobson grading each one as a win, loss or draw.

Auston Matthews News / Professor Press Box / September 3

Auston Matthews Has a Bigger Decision Than His Next Contract

I've been thinking about some of the comments readers have left about Auston Matthews and his future in Toronto. A couple of them got me thinking because they weren't really about goals, points or even money.

NHL News / The Hockey Writers / September 3

The Mitch Marner Shadow Is Already Following Gavin McKenna in Toronto

For nine seasons, Mitch Marner wasn’t simply a very good Toronto Maple Leafs player. He was part of the emotional experience of the Core Four era. That era brought enormous expectations.

Cooper Williams News / Inside The Rink / September 3

Maple Leafs Prospect Heading to the NCAA

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Cooper Williams has committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season. The Maple Leafs drafted him in the fifth round (158th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft in June.

Jack Kopacka News / Pro Hockey Rumors / September 3

Jack Kopacka Signs In ECHL

09/03/26: Kopacka has finalized his return to North American professional hockey. The former Ducks prospect has signed an ECHL deal with the Fort Wayne Komets, paving the way for him to play out 2026-27 in North America’s third tier.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / September 3

5 Maple Leafs listed among The Athletic’s Top 150 NHL players

The Toronto Maple Leafs head into the 2026-27 season with high-end talent filled throughout their roster. In a recent article by five writers from The

Auston Matthews News / The Hockey Writers / September 2

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Matthews’ Future & The Pressure Nobody Talks About

There’s been a lot of discussion in the comments sections lately about Auston Matthews, and thanks to OldDuffer and Windshear, their thoughts on it are more interesting than most of what’s coming out of the beat writers.

Gavin Mckenna News / NHL Trade Talk / September 2

Maple Leafs Fans Aren’t Loving This Gavin McKenna Prediction

A bold prediction by Frankie Corrado of TSN OverDrive about Gavin McKenna’s rookie season is dividing Maple Leafs fans online — and the debate will be interesting to see play out as the 2026-27 season rolls along.

Morgan Rielly News / The Hockey Writers / September 2

Morgan Rielly Would Benefit From a Reduced Role on Maple Leafs’ Defence

It was definitely a season to forget for Toronto Maple Leafs defender Morgan Rielly. He saw his lowest point total over the last five seasons and was the talk of trade rumours leading up to the start of the offseason.

Calle Jarnkrok News / Pro Hockey Rumors / August 31

Calle Jarnkrok Signs With Brynäs IF In Sweden

According to a team announcement, Calle Jarnkrok has signed with Brynäs IF in the SHL. The soon-to-be 35-year-old forward returns to where it all began, signing a three-year contract with his boyhood club through 2028-29, which he had played for from 2007 to 2013.