Toronto Maple Leafs: 2025-26 most anticipated games

This Toronto Maple Leafs season is going to be a fun one. For the first time in a long time, things feel different. Toronto is entering a new era, one without superstar Mitch Marner.

The forward corps looks completely different. Depth is now their strength, and the hope is that Auston Matthews gets back to his MVP-level form. The defence corps is still fantastic, and the goalies are too. 

But the Leafs also have new rivalries brewing, along with their historic enemies. They’ve been eliminated by the Florida Panthers twice now, plus the Battle of Ontario seems to be back. Not to mention the Vegas Golden Knights now employ public enemy No.1.

So let’s take a look at the three most intriguing games on the Maple Leafs’ 2025–26 season.

1. Friday, Jan. 23 vs. Vegas Golden Knights

This is the most obvious pick by a mile. The first game in Toronto against Mitch Marner is going to be a classic, and it’ll be super interesting to see how the team reacts. I wouldn’t be surprised if they target Marner pretty hard, but he’ll probably score, too.

Not only is it just Marner, but this will be a matchup of two really good teams. Neither has gone far in the playoffs of late, but both Toronto and Vegas are forces in their respective conferences. They always play good games against one another.

The fans are going to go berserk, and I expect a ton of boos. As time passes, Marner will probably end up getting cheers, but his first game back won’t be pretty. We don’t have to go back into the whole Marner saga, but things are going to be spicy. This is easily the most anticipated game of the season.

2. Saturday, March 21 @ Ottawa Senators

The Leafs don’t play in Ottawa until late, but with the Battle of Ontario back on the menu, this one will be exciting. Things got scary at the end of Round 1 last year, but the Leafs still own the Senators dating back to the early 2000s.

Ottawa fans hate Toronto, and I mean hate. The playoffs didn’t help change that, and the two teams are going to be feisty as hell. Brady Tkachuk is going to be running around like a madman and will no doubt fire up his Ottawa teammates.

It’s so fun that this rivalry is back. These two teams should despise each other, and with Toronto owning the bragging rights (for now), the first game in Ottawa will be fantastic. 

The Leafs don’t exactly dominate everyone, but they do dominate Ottawa. The Battle of Ontario should be here to stay with Ottawa on the come-up, and this could be a meaningful game late in the season.

3. Thursday, Dec. 11 vs. San Jose Sharks

This is simply going to be one of the most fun games of the year. San Jose is probably the most exciting young team to watch, with Macklin Celibrini stealing the show every night. With all their stars getting a year older and renewed energy within the team, I think the Sharks will be amazing to watch.

They might not be very good, but they will be entertaining. And the Leafs are the complete opposite, good but boring. Hopefully, San Jose gives Toronto space to move around, and they play a fun style instead of Berube’s dump-and-chase.

There isn’t much else to it than that. A lot of Leafs games are going to be boring again this year, but they’ll be good. Watching them go against a hungry, star-filled young group will be one of the best watches of the season, and the goal should be to win 8–7.