The Leafs improved their bottom six with offseason signings

New Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has wasted no time in re-shaping his team’s roster after the group suffered through a miserable 2025-26 campaign that saw them finish well out of the playoff hunt and cost Chayka’s predecessor Brad Treliving and previous head coach Craig Berube their jobs.

Winning the draft lottery and getting to select Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick before signing two-time Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky to man the crease helps, but on July 1, Chayka focused primarily on reworking the team’s depth forwards.

The former Arizona Coyotes GM traded for Nick Paul and signed Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime and Teddy Blueger to add a mix of face-off ability, physicality, penalty killing acumen and a pinch of scoring ability to a group that struggled mightily last season.

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk and co-host and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton were joined by former NHL video coach Steve Peters to discuss the impact that additions like Sissons, Duhaime and Blueger could make on Toronto’s bottom six.

Carter Hutton: I want to transition to a team in the Atlantic we were touching on, the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were outside of the playoffs watching Mitch Marner come so close to winning the Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup, and now they get Gavin McKenna and they’re signing guys. What’s your take about John Chayka and Sundin and what they’re capable of doing with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Steve Peters: This is interesting because when you look at the Toronto Maple Leafs last year, they made some minor moves. They got Mattias Maccelli and they add some small pieces. I’ve talked about John Chayka before, and my thoughts on what’s going to happen in Toronto, but having said that, he’s taken a big swing. You’ve got to give him the credit for trying to make some big, major changes in Toronto. One of the biggest changes and problems they have had there is the bottom six. I know you talk about their top forwards and finding a replacement for Marner. They’ve got Jack Roslovic penciled in their top six… we’ll see. We thought in Edmonton he was going to be the guy who was going to add all that offense. I’m not convinced he can be that guy, but they have definitely improved their bottom six. This is a team with Nick Paul and Blueger and Duhaime and Sissons. Those are the guys that get you over the hump in the playoffs. Can they get you over the hump in Games 1-82? And that’s the same for Bobrovsky… I think the biggest additions are in the bottom six, but I’m still not sold on this Toronto Maple Leaf team being the one that’s standing when the dust clears at the end of the 2026-27 season.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode below…