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Toronto Maple Leafs Matias Maccelli (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Groulx, Maccelli, Lambert & McMann

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Mar 17, 2026 2:25 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs head into tonight’s game against the New York Islanders in a place that, honestly, looked unlikely not long ago. Just when, from a logical point of view, they need it the least, they’ve got a bit of life. They are showing something resembling pushback. Five points in their last three games will help a team that had been drifting.

Losing Auston Matthews could have been the final blow. Usually, when your best player goes down like that, the air leaks out of the room pretty fast. But instead, the Maple Leafs have responded. There’s been real effort, which has been enough to keep things interesting.

The Islanders, though, are not exactly arriving at a convenient time. They’re playing well, and they don’t give you much for free. They also have an 18-year-old defenceman named Matthew Schaefer, who is worth watching on his own. He was the first overall draft pick last summer and is from just down the road in Hamilton. He’ll be fun to watch.

Item One: Groulx Gives the Leafs a Bit of Juice

Hockey seasons have a way of uncovering players you weren’t thinking about a week ago. Right now, that player is Benoit-Olivier Groulx. The fact is, we probably would’ve never seen him play if the season had gone as expected, and the Maple Leafs were fighting for a postseason placement. But we have, and he’s been one of the neat surprises of the season.

Three goals in four games are like superstar numbers for this Maple Leafs team. The group has spent a long time leaning on the same names to do the scoring, and when those names aren’t producing, things tend to dry up in a hurry. Groulx has changed that, and it’s been fun to watch.

What stands out isn’t just the goals. It’s the energy. There’s a directness to his game that fits what Craig Berube seems to want. You know what you’re getting each shift. And right now, that kind of reliability feels pretty good from a fan perspective.

It also makes me wonder. If Groulx can step in and contribute like this, who else might be able to do the same? Good teams tend to find these players. The Maple Leafs, for a long time, haven’t. Given their lack of draft capital, if the team is going to rise from the ashes, that must start to change.

Item Two: The Maccelli Question Should Be Simpler

Speaking of players who can bring a bit of secondary scoring, James Mirtle believes that the Maple Leafs were not going to bring back Matias Maccelli with a $4.1 million qualifying offer. Why not? On the surface, that number might seem like a big payday. And, when every dollar matters, perhaps it is.

But after a slow start, he’s really starting to show some offence. He looks to be a player who can give you 45 to 55 points, and those don’t grow on trees and don’t come cheaply on the open market. The team can keep that kind of player without giving up assets, and that’s worth considering. Maccelli has also shown chemistry with William Nylander, and that’s something that’s useful on this team. The Maple Leafs lack middle-six scoring depth. Failing to keep him feels like a missed opportunity.

This really feels like a philosophical fork in the road. The Maple Leafs have a habit of nickel-and-diming their way out of useful players, and it’s hard not to see shades of that here. They just seemed to do it with Bobby McMann, who I’ll get to in a moment. Maccelli is productive, and players like that tend to matter. If it were me, I’d keep him and not overthink it. This is exactly the kind of decision good teams usually get right.

Item Three: Kraken Head Coach Lane Lambert Had to Be Smiling over McMann

This one stings a little, and it probably should. When the Maple Leafs moved McMann at the deadline, it didn’t feel like a massive deal at the time. Depth player, some upside, but not exactly irreplaceable. Then he lands in Seattle, and suddenly he looks more than a little noticeable.

Five points in his first two games with the Kraken will get your attention. Three goals, some playmaking, and that straight-line, physical style that always seemed like it had a place — just maybe not a long-term one in Toronto. You have to think Lane Lambert knew exactly what he was getting. As an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs, he’d seen McMann up close before. That familiarity mattered, and he didn’t need convincing. Now, he has a prime opportunity on the Kraken’s top line, it looks like.

From the Maple Leafs’ point of view, it’s another one of those moments that makes you pause. They traded McMann for a couple of coin flips, and not first-round ones. Now, they’ll try to find a player exactly like him on the free-agent market. By the way, McMann was the only trade deadline acquisition the Kraken made.

In an ironic way, it’s sort of fun watching former Maple Leafs youngsters find regular spots on other teams. When was the last time you thought of Trevor Moore, who’s found a nice home with the Los Angeles Kings?

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

So, here the Maple Leafs are. Playing better, working harder, and still staring up at the standings with a 10-point gap to make up. The reality of digging yourself a hole is that climbing out takes time you don’t always have. The margin the Maple Leafs could have had is completely gone.

The effort is there now. This group hasn’t checked out. Even if it will never show up in the standings, there’s something worth watching here. For me, at least, they’ve made this team worth paying attention to again — and that wasn’t the case a few games ago.