Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Stolarz, Toskala, Roy, Joshua & Hildeby

Anthony Stolarz remains the assumed starter when Woll is unavailable. Fans pencilled him in as the team’s go-to before the season, but Hildeby’s development adds a layer of complexity. The tall, young Swede has looked particularly solid compared to last season.

Sooner or later, Stolarz’s injury will heal. What then? Will Toronto get a veteran, Vezina-level goalie when he returns, or will it feel more like the hit-or-miss days of a Vesa Toskala-style backup? Stolarz’s uncertainty hangs quietly over the team’s playoff hopes.

[By the way, in just under two months, it’ll be 16 years since the Maple Leafs sent Toskala and Jason Blake to the Anaheim Ducks in the Jan. 31, 2010, deal that brought Jean-Sébastien Giguère to Toronto.]

For now, cautious optimism is the takeaway. The crease isn’t the problem—everything around it is. Perhaps even starting another rumour here, if Stolarz remains out for an extended period and Hildeby continues to play well, would the Maple Leafs consider moving their second-year, 31-year-old veteran for another skater?

Item Two: Can the Third-Line Momentum of McMann, Roy, and Joshua Last?

One of the bright spots over the weekend was the third line. Bobby McMann, Nicolas Roy, and Dakota Joshua skated with real cohesion and provided the kind of physical, energetic spark that doesn’t rely on bounces or luck. Those qualities—work ethic, attention to detail, and pressure—tend to carry over from game to game.

If this trio keeps pushing its own envelope, is there a world where they grow into one of the league’s more dependable bottom-six units? What they need now is repetition combined with their own willpower. Continuity might be the key that turns a few encouraging flashes into something the coaching staff can trust every night.

Head coach Craig Berube’s deployment choices will matter. Keeping this line together across multiple games could deepen chemistry, grow confidence, and build momentum. The third line’s success reflects a broader pattern: minor adjustments and repeated opportunity can pay dividends, but inconsistency elsewhere often undermines the gains.

In short, the third line offers a spark of hope, but only if it’s allowed to develop without constant reshuffling. I’m starting to wonder whether this trio shows real promise, or if Berube’s ongoing experimentation is getting in the way. Momentum and trust take time, and frequent moves threaten to stall both.

Item Three: Defence Gets a Boost as Key Players Return

There’s a bit of good news: a couple of defensemen are ready to return, giving Toronto more depth ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately, although he was slated to return, Chris Tanev remains sidelined with a lingering injury.

However, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is set to play tonight after leaving Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins early with an upper-body injury. He will face his old team tonight, riding a nine-game point streak with three goals and seven assists.

Brandon Carlo continues recovery under supervision, keeping him on injured reserve for now. Simon Benoit has rejoined practice after missing Saturday’s game for personal reasons, adding grit and depth to the lineup. Together, these returns give the Maple Leafs a better mix of experience and energy heading into a demanding stretch.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

Here’s the reality check: Toronto sits in the middle of the pack, four points out of third place, with 57 games remaining. The math says a playoff berth is possible, but the path is far from easy. Playing .500 hockey this far in rarely leads to postseason success, and past results against weaker teams—one point out of six versus the Detroit Red Wings, three of four against the Buffalo Sabres, and winless against the Boston Bruins underscore the challenge.

Offensively, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares are delivering, but defensive lapses, giveaways, and poor zone management keep creeping in. Coaching tweaks sometimes help and sometimes hinder, but structural issues won’t disappear overnight. If the Maple Leafs can tighten up defensively, ride hot streaks, and get a few breaks, the playoffs are within reach. But it’ll take more than flashes—they need focus, consistency, and a little bit of puck luck. In other words, the postseason remains possible, but don’t bet the house on it just yet.