Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Matthews, Robertson, Tavares & Holinka

For all the angst about this team, even given the stinker against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto has now won three of its last four games. Even better, for the first time this season, the team’s rhythm feels less forced. Is the team actually starting to understand what head coach Craig Berube wants from them?

Item 1: Nicholas Robertson Picks up 2 Points and the Game-Winner

Robertson is starting to look like the player the Maple Leafs always hoped he’d become. Against the Flyers, he had a goal and an assist — and his goal stood as the game-winner. Late in the second period, he took a slick drop pass from Matthew Knies and fired it cleanly from the high slot, beating Dan Vladar and giving Toronto some breathing room.

That makes three points in his last three games and two straight outings where he’s looked dangerous. After several seasons of setbacks and frustration, Robertson seems confident and happy skating beside Matthews and Knies. He’s driving the play. For a player who’s fought to stay healthy and find trust from his coaches, might games like these become turning points?

Item 2: Matthews and Tavares Lead the Way — Toronto’s Core Finds its Rhythm

If you’ve been wondering whether the team’s leaders can still set the tone, Saturday offered an answer. As noted, Matthews opened the scoring with a one-motion ripper from Morgan Rielly’s assist that froze the goalie.

Matthews now sits at nine points in 12 games. It’s far from a torrid pace by his standards, but don’t be surprised if he’s right on the edge of one of those goal-scoring tears we’ve seen in past seasons. Even when he’s not lighting up the scoresheet, he’s been involved in the play, working defensively and creating space for others.

Then there’s Tavares. He’s stringing together one of the more productive stretches of his veteran career. With two assists against Philadelphia, he’s on a six-game, nine-point streak (five goals, four assists). He’s tied with Knies for second on the team in points and sits just one back of William Nylander. Tavares looks every bit the steady veteran this young lineup needs — composed, physical, and determined. While he’s more reserved with his own scoring, he sure looked happy about Cowan’s first goal.

It’s worth noting how Berube’s system seems to be balancing both players’ strengths: Matthews as the finisher and Tavares as the play-driver who keeps everyone honest. When both are rolling, Toronto looks like a team that can make some noise.

Item 3: Young Czech Miroslav Holinka Is Finding His Stride in the WHL

Toronto’s fifth-round pick from 2024, Miroslav Holinka, is starting to make some noise out west. The 19-year-old Czech center had a four-point night for the Western Hockey League (WHL) Edmonton Oil Kings — a goal and three assists — in a 6–1 win over Medicine Hat. It’s not his first breakout performance, but it’s a reminder of the skill that got him noticed in the first place.

Holinka’s road to the Maple Leafs has already been an adventure. His rights bounced through Nashville before returning to the Maple Leafs organization as part of the trade that brought Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty to town. That’s a lot of movement for a teenager, but it seems to have lit a fire under him. Now, playing major junior hockey in Alberta, he’s showing that he can adapt to the North American game (faster pace, smaller ice, tighter checking) and still produce.

At 6-foot-2 and about 185 pounds, Holinka combines size with a playmaker’s touch. Through 14 games this season, he’s put up eight goals and 19 points, showing flashes of the top-six potential that Maple Leafs scouts liked. What’s encouraging is how comfortable he looks leading a young team in Edmonton — and how quietly he’s becoming a name worth remembering in Toronto’s prospect pool.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

It’s tempting to say “same old Maple Leafs” when they stumble as they did against the Blue Jackets. But even with that loss in the middle of last week, Toronto has now won three of four. Columbus was a clunker. But the team’s wins over the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and now Philadelphia all had a ring of resilience, more structure, and a touch more secondary scoring.

Does Saturday’s win show that a Berube-coached team is beginning to take shape? Matthews and Tavares led the way, but the depth mattered — Robertson, Cowan, Calle Järnkrok, and Jake McCabe all added to the win. In goal, Anthony Stolarz added a touch of irony by beating the Flyers, the team that drafted him back in 2012. He was solid and calm, just what this group needed.

The challenge now is keeping that momentum. The Maple Leafs still need to tighten up defensively and learn how to protect leads late, but the signs are there. Last night, the team didn’t look so fragile; it seemed to be starting to believe it could play the right way and win because of it.

Maybe it’s too early to talk about turning points, but for now, three wins in four tries isn’t bad.