Toronto Maple Leafs: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

3 Reasons Danford Is a Good Bet to Crack the Maple Leafs Lineup

Toronto’s blue line is crowded right now, and on paper, that’s not great news for a 20-year-old prospect trying to break in. But dig into the actual details, and Ben Danford looks like a real candidate to see NHL games this season anyway.

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The Quiz of the Day

The good, bad, and ugly from the Maple Leafs' preseason openers

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened their preseason schedule on Saturday with a pair of split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens. NHL teams now face a new, condensed preseason and training camp schedule due to the lengthened 84-game regular season in 2026-27.

NHL News / The Hockey Writers / September 20

3 Takeaways From Maple Leafs’ 4-1 Preseason Loss to Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost their preseason opener 4-1 against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. Darren Raddysh scored Toronto’s lone goal on the power play at 16:39 of the second period.

Ben Danford News / The Hockey Writers / September 20

Ben Danford Poised to Crack Maple Leafs Roster in 2026-27

It’s safe to say the Toronto Maple Leafs officially have a logjam on the blue line heading into the 2026-27 season. While it isn’t a bad thing for the team, it does pose one obstacle for a defensive prospect looking to make his presence felt within the organization this season – Ben Danford.

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

Auston Matthews News / NHL Trade Talk / September 20

Auston Matthews Gushes Over New Teammate: 'It’s An Absolute Treat'

Auston Matthews didn’t hold back when discussing what it’s been like to have Sergei Bobrovsky as a new teammate in Toronto, praising the veteran goaltender’s professionalism and reputation around the league.

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.

Gavin Mckenna News / The Hockey Writers / September 20

The Maple Leafs Are Doing the Right Thing Easing in McKenna

Heading into training camp, many wondered how the Toronto Maple Leafs would utilize Gavin McKenna as he entered his rookie season. After days, even months

Auston Matthews News / TheLeafsnation / September 20

Leafs’ Auston Matthews confident that he’s shaken off rust following preseason opener

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews won’t be losing sleep over his team’s 4-1 preseason loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Toronto certainly generated several chances, and were unlucky that only Darren Raddysh got on the board, but there were also just as many rusty moments.

Gavin Mckenna News / TheLeafsnation / September 20

Gavin McKenna expresses gratitude to teammates following first preseason game: ‘A lot to build on’

It was a quiet night on the scoresheet for Toronto Maple Leafs incoming first overall pick Gavin McKenna, but he had nothing but good things to say about his first time on NHL ice.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / TheLeafsnation / September 20

5 takeaways from Maple Leafs-Canadiens preseason opener

TORONTO — All eyes were on Gavin McKenna, as the 18-year-old made his preseason debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs. McKenna did not appear on the scoresheet, but he drew a ton of attention, and was among Toronto’s best forwards in a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, a scoreline that betrays the competitive balance of the contest.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 20

Predicting the Maple Leafs' 2026-27 opening night roster

The Toronto Maple Leafs have two of four preseason games in the books. Which means it's time to look ahead and predict the 2026-27 opening night roster.

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 / Maple Leafs Hotstove / September 19

Maple Leafs Lose Preseason Opener (x2): Analysis & Player Notes From Both Games

At the best of times, preseason is incredibly difficult to evaluate. In these changing times, we have to be even more careful. With the NHL schedule moving to 84 games, the preseason schedule has been reduced to four.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 19

Maple Leafs answer several questions in preseason loss to Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice for the first time this season in a split-squad session against the Montreal Canadiens. While the Leafs lost both games, one of them, a misleading 4-1 loss, answered several questions everyone had in mind heading into this campaign.

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The 'FBS animal nicknames' quiz

The 'Most lefty-homers in a season' quiz

The 'Active 150-yard NFL rushers' quiz

The '10K-yard, 80-TD NFL receivers' quiz

NHL News / Maple Leafs Hotstove / September 19

Jim Hiller on Gavin McKenna’s NHL (preseason) debut: “He was in on three or four chances… You will take that every day”

After the Maple Leafs’ 4-1 loss to the Canadiens in the preseason opener, head coach Jim Hiller discussed Auston Matthews’ and Gavin McKenna’s performances, the team’s execution with and without the puck, and Dakota Joshua’s status.

NHL News / TheLeafsnation / September 19

Maple Leafs’ B-squad fall 4-3 in overtime to Canadiens on the road

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost their second of two split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens to open the newly-shortened preseason, falling 4-3 in overtime.

Darren Raddysh News / Editor In Leaf / September 19

Darren Raddysh scores his first goal as a Maple Leaf in classic fashion

The Maple Leafs have kicked off their preseason Saturday night with a split-squad series of games in between Toronto and Montreal, against the Canadiens.

Matthew Knies News / Editor In Leaf / September 19

Matthew Knies sends clear message about his Maple Leafs future

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies made his thoughts clear about his future with the team. In particular, he sent a clear message to the fanbase, reassuring everyone that rumors were just that, rumors.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 19

The Maple Leafs’ power play might be full of personal drama

John Chayka and the Toronto Maple Leafs entered the offseason with one focus: adding talent to the roster for a return to the postseason. However, that sudden embarrassment of riches has handed new head coach Jim Hiller a massive tactical headache before the puck even drops.

Jim Hiller News / Editor In Leaf / September 19

Jim Hiller has a clear vision for what he wants the Maple Leafs to become

Jim Hiller's appointment as the Toronto Maple Leafs' head coach drew some concern, as his time with the Los Angeles Kings featured a defense-heavy team.

NHL News / Maple Leafs Hotstove / September 19

Jim Hiller on Gavin McKenna skating on the Leafs’ second PP unit: “We don’t want to put any extra pressure on him… We just want to get him started in the NHL, see what it feels like, and then there will be a chance over time”

Jim Hiller addressed the media before Saturday’s preseason opener against the Montreal Canadiens, discussing what he wants to see from his team in the first exhibition matchup, Chris Tanev getting up to speed, and Gavin McKenna’s role on the PP/the early construction of the power-play units.

Sergei Bobrovsky News / Professor Press Box / September 19

What Sergei Bobrovsky Really Brings to the Maple Leafs

Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to get the start for the Maple Leafs against Montreal on Saturday, and sure, that's worth watching. But honestly, the preseason start isn't the interesting part.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / The Hockey Writers / September 19

Are the Maple Leafs Really Better? 3 Reasons For Optimism

After an ugly 78-point season that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs miss the playoffs, the organization enters training camp with a new look. The team is quite different, both in its players and its front office, and it has become one of the league’s most divisive teams.

Toronto Maple Leafs News / Editor In Leaf / September 19

Maple Leafs’ latest lineup reveals some interesting preseason plans

The wait is finally over. After a long and busy offseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs, filled with a bunch of excitement and hope, the team will finally hit the ice on Saturday for a split-squad clash against one of their biggest rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, as one group will be in Toronto and the other will be in Montreal.

Steven Lorentz News / TheLeafsnation / September 19

Steven Lorentz details confidence struggles last season ahead of year 3 with Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is in a better place heading into his third season with the club. After an up-and-down year with mostly downs (which was certainly not exclusive to Lorentz), the Waterloo native spoke about where things went wrong for him in 2025-26 and how he’s going to apply it to this season under a new head coach.

Gavin Mckenna News / Field Level Media / September 19

No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna ready for Maple Leafs' debut

No. 1 overall draft pick Gavin McKenna is expected to make his NHL debut Saturday night when his Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens in a preseason game.