The Maple Leafs Have to Find Their Game Again

The Toronto Maple Leafs were a mess last season. Thirty-two wins. Seventy-eight points. A team that spent far too much time looking like it was gripping the stick with both hands and waiting for something bad to happen. That has to change if they expect to make the playoffs this season.

Toronto has changed much of the roster, brought in head coach Jim Hiller, added size and experience, and given the team a different look. That's all well and good. But new players and a new coach won't matter much if the Maple Leafs play the same tight, hesitant hockey that dragged them down last season. The biggest job this year might be getting this team to simply play hockey again.

The Maple Leafs Need to Get Out of Their Own Heads.

There were stretches last season when the Leafs seemed to forget that hockey is supposed to have some flow. Passes were late. Decisions were hesitant. Players looked as if they were thinking about the consequences before making the play. And when things went wrong, the whole thing seemed to tighten up another notch.

That can't happen again. Hiller doesn't need to turn Toronto into the fastest team in the NHL. He needs to give them an identity they can trust. Move the puck. Get through the neutral zone. Support the puck. Compete for it when they lose it. And when a play is there, make it. Sounds pretty basic, doesn't it? That's because it is.

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The Maple Leafs’ Stars Have to Be the Stars.

The roster changes are interesting, but eventually this still comes down to the big guys. Auston Matthews doesn't have to score 60 goals. William Nylander doesn't have to carry the offence every night. But Toronto needs its best players to look like they're playing hockey, not like they're trying to avoid mistakes.

That's especially true for Matthews. His 2025-26 season was nowhere near the standard he had established, and if the Maple Leafs are going to get back into the playoff picture, they need their best player driving the team again.

Then there's the supporting cast. Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul and Darren Raddysh bring different things. Sergei Bobrovsky brings another big question mark. Gavin McKenna brings excitement. But none of those additions automatically fixes Toronto. The Maple Leafs have to become a team that responds instead of reacts.

The Real Reset Would Be a Different “Feel” for Toronto.

That's probably Hiller's biggest challenge. Toronto doesn't need to spend six months proving that last season wasn't good enough. Everybody already knows that. The team needs to stop carrying last season around with them like baggage they can’t put down.

They have a new coach. A different roster. A different look. Now they need a different feel.

If Toronto can loosen up, play with some speed and trust its game again, the standings could look very different. But before they can become a playoff team again, they have to become a hockey team that looks like it actually enjoys playing hockey. And that would be a whole lot more fun for fans, too.

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