Bold Toronto Maple Leafs predictions for the 2025-26 NHL season

This shouldn’t be a bold prediction, but the gaping hole that Marner leaves in the Leafs’ lineup is not talked about nearly enough. All the talk heading into the season is about Marner’s experience in Toronto, and the fans seem happy to see him walk to Vegas. For some reason, they believe that it’s a positive thing to lose your top penalty killing forward, powerplay distributor, and regular season scoring leader.

Marner didn’t just lead the Maple Leafs in points by a small margin; he blew away the next closest by 18. Auston Matthews would’ve been much closer if he hadn’t missed 14 games, but that’s also part of the problem. Where would the Leafs have been last season if Marner hadn’t stepped up in the captain’s absence? Matthews is far from out of the woods with his injury issues, and another problem that keeps him out of the lineup this season will be trouble without Marner.

The powerplay struggled in the postseason, which is part of the reason why Marner took the brunt of the criticism. They always seemed to lose cohesion once the playoffs came around, but they still ranked ninth in the league during the regular season. Where does the powerplay go without their top playmaker? William Nylander could fill the role less effectively, and he is likely the best option out of Matthews, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Morgan Reilly.

Marner also became an elite penalty killer over his years in Toronto. He managed to get himself into Selke Trophy consideration, which not many people would’ve predicted when he began his career. The Leafs still had just the 17th-best penalty kill in the league, and that number could drop dramatically with an aging defense core and the loss of Marner.

Auston Matthews regains crown as the top offensive weapon

Matthews’ desire to become more of a two-way center after his 69-goal season was an interesting changeup last season. He looked to be on his way to becoming one of the top scorers in league history, but decided the only way the Maple Leafs could win was if he locked in on defense. He scored 36 fewer goals last season in 14 fewer games, but he did look like someone who could play at both ends of the ice.

The result was another early playoff exit, which begs the question of whether losing Matthews’ offense is worth the extra defense he provides. The argument is that no one was beating Florida last season, regardless, but it does put the captain in an interesting position this season.

The Maple Leafs already need to replace the 102-point void left by Marner, which is where players like Matthews and Nylander will need to step in. Brad Treliving didn’t do a whole lot this offseason to fill the void, with minor acquisitions like Matias Maccelli and Nicolas Roy. Those players will help bolster the team’s depth, but they won’t be elite scorers.

Let’s be honest, it isn’t going to be as easy for Matthews without his playmaking sidekick on the wing. However, it might be time for him to become a dominant force in his own right and start carrying the play. Matthews will likely have a desire to continue his two-way exploits, but a slow start for the team’s offense may refocus his sights on being the elite offensive player he was born to be.