Toronto Maple Leafs: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: McKenna, Tavares & Building a Team Culture

There is a little bit of everything in the latest Toronto Maple Leafs news. Gavin McKenna is getting an early lesson in what it means to be a Maple Leaf, and John Tavares is the guy helping him learn it.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

The Maple Leafs On Paper vs. the Maple Leafs On the Ice

There was a little pushback after I wrote a post about the Toronto Maple Leafs’ new roster through an analytics lens. Fair enough. In fact, one comment made a pretty good point.

Mitch Marner News / Editor In Leaf / September 10

Mitch Marner finally weighs in on the Maple Leafs’ eventful offseason

While it's not mandatory for NHL stars to pay attention to their former team's activity over a year since they decided to leave, there is certainly a little bit of an expectation that Mitch Marner is keeping tabs on what the Toronto Maple Leafs are up to.

San Jose Sharks 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 / NHL Trade Talk / September 10

Toronto Maple Leafs Have Little Flexibility Without Making a Trade

With the Toronto Maple Leafs desperate to make the playoffs after last season’s disappointment, having flexibility could have been a valuable asset for new general manager John Chayka.

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.

Auston Matthews News / TheLeafsnation / September 10

What does a successful 2026-27 season look like for Auston Matthews?

No player on the Toronto Maple Leafs will have a bigger impact on how the 2026-27 campaign will go than Auston Matthews. While there is a recent track record of the Leafs being able to overcome Matthews being far from his best – as was evident in 2024-25 – there is plenty more, as the team can only go as far as their captain can take them.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / The Hockey Writers / September 10

Maple Leafs Look Different on Paper Heading Into 2026-27 Season

After a disappointing season where they finished last in the Atlantic Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference, it was new territory for the Maple Leafs to not only miss the playoffs, but to witness the poor performance night in and night out.

Tinus Luc Koblar News / Pension Plan Puppets / September 10

2026 T25U25: Tinus Luc Koblar is #5

Drafted by the Leafs last summer, and ranked sixth in the T25 a few weeks later, TLK now has an acronym for a name, an ELC, and is about to play in the Leafs rookie tournament.

Max Domi News / Athlon Sports / September 10

Maple Leafs Set to Benefit from Latest Max Domi Injury Update

Max Domi remains unavailable for the Toronto Maple Leafs after suffering complications stemming from offseason surgery. The situation has left Domi’s status and availability for the upcoming season as one of the team’s biggest questions with training camp around the corner.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / September 10

Steven Ellis lists Maple Leafs as NHL’s 3rd-most improved prospect pool

For the first time in recent memory, there’s genuine optimism about the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect pool. Gavin McKenna headlines the class, and will quickly graduate to the NHL once the new year begins.

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.

John Tavares News / Professor Press Box / September 9

The Maple Leafs Are Getting More From John Tavares Than Points

One thing I’ve learned when talking about the Maple Leafs is that hockey teams aren’t built on contracts and statistics alone. They're built with people.

Chris Kreider News / Editor In Leaf / September 9

Maple Leafs can’t afford not to kick the tires on Chris Kreider

The Toronto Maple Leafs could have an interesting option available on the market. Specifically, we’re talking about the soon-to-be-terminated forward Chris Kreider.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'NFL's active passing-leaders' quiz

The '2026 NFL Week 1 starting QBs' quiz

The 'Last 1st-round QB by NFL team' quiz

The 'NCAA football national champions' quiz

Jack Hughes News / Editor In Leaf / September 9

Jack Hughes says the Maple Leafs didn't deserve to pick first overall

Jack Hughes had some interesting things to say about the Toronto Maple Leafs at NHL Media Day on Wednesday. He had some thoughts about how Gavin McKenna will adjust to playing in the NHL and hidden in these words were a jab at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Max Domi News / Daily Faceoff / September 9

Leafs’ Max Domi expected to miss training camp, start of season

The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t expecting to have Max Domi back for the early part of the season. After it was announced in late May that the forward was

Max Domi News / TheLeafsnation / September 9

Maple Leafs’ Max Domi reportedly expected to miss training camp

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi is expected to miss training camp, and the start of the regular season, Daily Faceoff Toronto’s Nick Alberga reports.

NHL News / Daily Faceoff / September 9

Jack Hughes believes Gavin McKenna is set up for success better than other recent first overall picks

The pressure on Gavin McKenna will be sky-high this season, as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft is set to take on the spotlight that comes with wearing the Toronto Maple Leafs’ jersey. That isn’t stopping any momentum for him, though, nor the belief of New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, the No.

Connor McDavid News / Professor Press Box / September 9

The McDavid to Maple Leafs Rumour Puts Pressure on Toronto

There's a funny thing about the latest Connor McDavid-to-Toronto rumour. The more you look at it, the less it actually seems to be about McDavid. Michael Augello has already clarified that the original comment was based on another reporter's theory, not on anything McDavid has told anyone about wanting to leave Edmonton.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / NHL Trade Talk / September 9

McKenna Living With Tavares Is Great for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are excited to have Gavin McKenna joining the team for the 2026-27 season, and it appears that he will be in the perfect environment to settle into the league during his rookie season.

Sergei Bobrovsky News / Editor In Leaf / September 9

Sergei Bobrovsky will likely pass this Maple Leafs legend for a goaltending honor

The Toronto Maple Leafs might be getting future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky in the twilight of his career, but that doesn't mean the Russian goaltender doesn't have a bit left in the tank.

William Nylander News / Editor In Leaf / September 9

Maple Leafs may have reason to be concerned about William Nylander

At one point, Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander was a top-10 NHL winger. He’s a three-time 40-goal scorer and one of the most electrifying players in the league.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Inside The Rink / September 9

Toronto Maple Leafs: Five Burning Questions

The Toronto Maple Leafs were full of storylines this offseason. Front-office overhaul, coaching changes, the first overall pick, and a roster retool. The list of new personnel in Toronto is long.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Professor Press Box / September 8

Toronto’s Blue Line Is Getting Old. That Might Not Be a Problem

There is an easy way to look at the Toronto Maple Leafs' blue line right now: it's old. Morgan Rielly is 32. Jake McCabe is 32. Chris Tanev is 36. Oliver Ekman-Larsson is 35.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / NHL Trade Talk / September 8

The Maple Leafs Got the Gift Bad Seasons Dream About. Now What?

The Toronto Maple Leafs spent much of the 2025–26 season making headlines for the wrong reasons. Blown coverages, sloppy shifts, strange decisions, and a constant sense that the team was barely holding things together.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / The Hockey Writers / September 8

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Pyramid – Start of 2026-27

It has been two full seasons since the last time we looked into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect pyramid, back before the 2024-25 season. Having moved on from some of the veterans on the squad, the young core has become younger for the Maple Leafs with a number of players waiting in the wind for their opportunity with the big club.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / NHL Rumors / September 7

2026-27 Toronto Maple Leafs Season Preview

The Toronto Maple Leafs definitely had a busy offseason. They overhauled their goaltending, added defensive depth, and bolstered their bottom-six while parting ways with several young players.

Christopher Tanev News / Pro Hockey Rumors / September 5

Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev Hopeful To Start Camp

Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev could very well be back in the fold when training camp gets underway in 12 days’ time, he told Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star on Friday.