The Leafs Nation’s 2025-26 staff entrance survey

If you woke up this morning with a feeling of dread in the pit your stomach, it’s probably because it’s the day the Toronto Maple Leafs return to action. Well, either that or you watched the Toronto Blue Jays blow a 6-1 lead against the New York Yankees last night.

Back to hockey. A new Leafs season is on the horizon and it’s full of storylines worth paying attention to, with the departure of Mitch Marner sitting right at the top. With that brings our annual TLN entrance surveys. Our team of editors and contributors gathered together to give our takes on the state of the Maple Leafs with a couple of predictions baked in. Let’s get to it.

Who will be the Maple Leafs’ MVP?

Arun Srinivasan: Anthony Stolarz. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are expected to lead the charge deep into the playoffs, but Stolarz may ultimately be the difference. Stolarz was in Vezina contention when healthy, and goaltending is the scarcest resource in the NHL, as the Maple Leafs know all too well. A healthy Stolarz may be the difference between a second-round exit and a Stanley Cup victory.

Alex Hobson: I’m going with Auston Matthews. I think the spotlight on him is going to be even brighter than usual, and the narratives surrounding how he’ll fare without Mitch Marner will be flying all season. I believe he’s coming into the 2025-26 healthy, which is a great first step, and I think we’ll see a season closer to the 69-goal campaign we got two years ago.

Jon Steitzer: Anthony Stolarz. I’m not going to overthink it and if he can stay healthy he’ll be the difference maker for the Maple Leafs even more than Matthews.

Michael Mazzei: Auston Matthews is the obvious candidate, and he will once again be the most integral component of the team. By all accounts, he is healthier than he was last year and was effective in his two preseason games. Fans will certainly want to see that carry over to the regular season, but I think it’s going to be a bounce-back year for the captain.

Dylan Nazareth: Anthony Stolarz, hands down. He’s been trending in the right direction for a while, and with Joseph Woll out for the foreseeable future, this is his moment to assert himself as one of the league’s top goaltenders.

Which Maple Leaf do you think will surprise?

Srinivasan: Brandon Carlo took some time to adjust to the lineup, but with another year paired with Morgan Rielly, Toronto will get the version of the second-line blueliner who excelled for Boston over the past decade. Carlo’s shot-blocking and situational awareness are key assets, and his stellar play will certainly be counted upon for the duration of the year.

Hobson: I’m going to go with Nicolas Roy. I think a lot of people looked at him as a solid third-line centre when he was announced as part of the return from Mitch Marner, but I think Berube will quickly become a fan of his size and sneaky offensive abilities, and I think he could have a bit of a breakout season, especially if he’s skating alongside Dakota Joshua and one of Matias Maccelli or Max Domi all season.

Steitzer: Dakota Joshua. He’s a player I’d love to be wrong about and his 2023-24 shooting percentage made it seem like he caught lightning in a bottle. Maybe it wasn’t or maybe he’ll just be a solid third liner that is appreciated for what he is.

Mazzei: Matias Maccelli is a guy that I am most intrigued to keep track of this season, especially since there is a chance he will start the year on the top line. Craig Berube may have envisioned Max Domi in that spot, but there was enough evidence to suggest that Maccelli can work with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. A strong start for him will help rebound his confidence that was shot after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign with the Utah Mammoth.

Nazareth: I’m hot on Dakota Joshua and excited to see what role he’ll take on in the Leafs bottom six. I really think he’s primed for a bounce back season offensively now that he’s not coming off major surgery, and will quickly become a fan favourite.

Which Maple Leaf do you think will disappoint?

Srinivasan: Don’t do this to me, guys! If I have to entertain this idea, I think it will be Max Domi. Domi can be a superior playmaker on the wing, but if he’s asked to play centre, his defensive inattentiveness may prove to be costly.

Hobson: I’m going to go with Bobby McMann here. I would love to be wrong, as I’m sure all of my colleagues would be about who they pick, but McMann’s inconsistency towards the end of the 2024-25 season and lack of presence in the playoffs don’t inspire a ton of confidence that he’s going to be a regular 20-goal scorer at the NHL level.

Steitzer: Max Domi. He’ll spend a lot more time on the wing and that should be good for him, but he’ll still undeliver and disappear for stretches.

Mazzei: As much as I am a fan of the player, I feel that Bobby McMann is going to regress a bit. He is on the second line to start the season, though it has been well established that the Leafs are looking to add a top-six forward. McMann should be given every opportunity to prove he can be that option, but I am not sold he will achieve it, and that can be seen as a disappointment to some.

Nazareth: I don’t have high hopes for Max Domi. I know a lot of people want to see him on the top line, but I think he’ll continue to trend downwards this season. I don’t foresee his numbers improving significantly, and I think it will bring some frustration.

Confidence rating in the Leafs on a scale of 1-10?

Srinivasan: 8. I tend to be optimistic about the Leafs, and it’s a sliding scale. By any measure, they’re going to be one of the eight best teams in the NHL. If this is a measure of how likely they are to win the Cup, that’s an entirely different question!

Hobson: I’m going to go with a solid 7. Some people seem to think the Leafs will take a step back without Marner, and while you can’t underestimate the impact of losing a player with his skill, I also think the Leafs are long overdue to buy into a team-first mentality and let the ‘Core Four’ narrative die behind them. They might not win the division again, but I think we’ll see a much harder team to play against.

Steitzer: As excited as I am for the Leafs this season ( 10 out of 10) putting my confidence above a 6 would be insane. I’m confident they are a playoff team. I’m confident this is the style Berube wants to coach. I just think there are too many players the Leafs are gambling on to say that they are a bona fide contender.

Mazzei: 6. I think there is some optimism since it is a different roster construction from what has been used over the past half-decade and change. And while the preseason games for the NHL regulars were not exactly stellar, there’s not much to take from those and it will be how the regular season unfolds that counts. We’ll see how things go, but I am cautiously optimistic to start.

Nazareth: I’ll put it at a 7.5. It feels like we’re seeing a lot of buy-in to Berube’s style of hockey this year and a team that better matches what he wants to see on the ice. With top goaltending, a strong blue line, and some solid goalscoring talent, I think they can accomplish a lot through this season, but I think there’s still a lot unproven in their roster.

Bold Leafs prediction for 2025-26?

Srinivasan: Bobby McMann puts his late-season slump behind him and explodes for a 30-goal campaign, while affixed to the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander.

Hobson: Auston Matthews puts all of the “but what about Mitch?” narratives to bed and wins both the Rocket Richard Trophy and the Selke Trophy. We all know the scoring ability is there, and Aleksander Barkov being on the shelf for most of the season should help his case for the latter.

Steitzer: Auston Matthews leads the Leafs in assists and Matthew Knies becomes a 40 goal scorer as a result.

Mazzei: Morgan Rielly will have a career year from an offensive standpoint. The ingredients are there for Rielly to bounce back in a big way: the prior campaign went poorly, so he is motivated to get better, he is back on the top power play unit, and feels more comfortable in Craig Berube’s system. Combine that with the revelation that he is starting to trust his shot more, Rielly will not only rebound but have the best year of his career.

Nazareth: William Nylander steps up big time this year and finally cracks 50 goals.

How far will the Leafs make it this season?

Srinivasan: It could range from a first-round exit to a Stanley Cup victory, but ultimately I’ll predict a second-round exit for the Maple Leafs once again. It’s a really tough Atlantic Division, and I can see Andrei Vasilevskiy stealing a series for the Lightning in the second round.

Hobson: I’m going to err on the side of optimism and say the Leafs finally make it to the Conference Finals. I don’t know if I see them going to the Cup final given that the Lightning aren’t interested in going away and the Panthers have proven that where they finish in the regular season standings means nothing, but I do think a team buy-in to Berube’s system will take them further than they went last season.

Steitzer: They’ll lose to Tampa in the playoffs, I’m just not sure if it will be in the first or second round. I’ll be optimistic and say the second round.

Mazzei: At minimum, the Leafs will make it to the third round of the playoffs for their best run in over two decades. There is a prime opportunity for them to go deeper with the Florida Panthers ravaged by injuries, and no one else in the East is a serious threat just yet. But at the end of the day, the Leafs need to beat their greatest nemesis: themselves.

Nazareth: Conference Finals. I still think they have some demons to exorcise in the playoffs and I can’t confidently say we’ll see in them in the Cup Finals until I see a shift in how they approach the postseason.