Senators vs. Maple Leafs: Who’s the Better Team This Season?

In a recent post on The Hockey Writers, Ottawa Senators writer Dayton Reimer took a look at the Atlantic Division to compare his team to the rest of the division. I want to delve into his thoughts to examine the two teams that met in the first round of the playoffs last season – the Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs. As fans of both teams know, the Maple Leafs came out on top. Would that happen again this season?

If you’re a hockey fan in Ontario, there’s nothing quite like the Battle of Ontario. Ottawa and Toronto bring out the best (and worst) in each other, and heading into the 2025-26 season, the debate over which team is better feels as close as it’s been in years.

Why Ottawa Might Have the Edge

Let’s start with Ottawa. They owned Toronto last year in the regular season, winning all three games and outscoring the Maple Leafs 9-3. That’s not a fluke. Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux always seem extra fired up for these matchups, and the Senators’ defence is younger, faster, and arguably deeper than Toronto’s. Jake Sanderson is turning into a legitimate star on the blue line, and it’s not crazy to think he could be in the Norris conversation soon.

Add in the fact that Toronto lost Mitch Marner this offseason—it stings. Sure, they picked up Nicolas Roy in that deal with Vegas, but that’s a depth piece, not a replacement for a franchise winger. For Ottawa, that’s all good news. They’ve been chasing Toronto for years, and this might be the window where they actually pass them.

Why Toronto Might Still Have the Upper Hand

On the flip side, writing off the Maple Leafs is never that simple. Even without Marner, their offense is stacked. Auston Matthews remains one of the top goal-scorers in the world, William Nylander is dynamic, John Tavares still produces, and Matthew Knies is turning into the kind of power forward who can change games.

Then there’s goaltending. Last season, Anthony Stolarz led the entire NHL with a .926 save percentage, and Joseph Woll played a key role in shutting down the Senators during their playoff series. As much as Ottawa pushed them in the regular season, once the stakes went up, Toronto showed the difference between a contender and a team still learning how to win.