Going into this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs and winning the first overall pick in the NHL Draft.
They have a new front office, a new head coach, and quite a few new players who want to demonstrate that they can make an impact. Additionally, the team also possesses some returning players who are facing career-defining seasons.
From goalies to sophomores to veteran mainstays, the Leafs have a few guys who need to prove themselves.
Four Leafs enter 2026-27 with careers that could move in completely different directions
Firstly, there is Easton Cowan, who will be looking to show that he is a full-time NHL player, and not just a promising forward. He bounced around the lineup last season, and spent his final weeks back in the AHL. This season, the Leafs will be hoping for him to become a solid middle-six contributor who can also be deployed alongside the big boys of Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
While his time will mostly be spent in the AHL, this is a big year for Artur Akhtyamov. This is his opportunity to show that he is the Leafs' next internal goaltending option. The pipeline has thinned out, and now, he can establish himself as the guy that can be trusted for the next decade.
Subsequently, you have Anthony Stolarz. With the arrival of Sergei Bobrovsky, Stolarz can show the league that he is someone who can be trusted. He may play fewer games, but if he's consistent, he can rebuild the starter-level reputation he earned in 2024-25 and prove Toronto still has more than a traditional backup.
Lastly, you have Morgan Rielly, a veteran presence who is consistently named in trade rumors. Under Craig Berube, Rielly struggled. Now, under Jim Hiller, he has a fresh start to prove himself.
These are not the Leafs' most important players. Instead, these are the guys with the most to gain or lose depending on how they perform.
Morgan Rielly has the widest gap between a successful season and a failed one
Morgan Rielly is perhaps under the most pressure of any of these players, and of the four, ranks as number one on the list with the most to gain or lose.
A strong year could quiet the trade conversation and prove Rielly can still matter in a reduced offensive role beside a blue line now built around Darren Raddysh. A poor one could leave Toronto with an expensive veteran whose role, trade value and long-term place in the lineup all shrink at once.
On the flip side, a bad year could reduce his role permanently, lead to more trade speculation, make his contract harder to move, and change how Leafs fans remember him.
Artur Akhtyamov ranks fourth on our list as he is still developing. Cowan comes in at third for similar reasons, although his NHL experience gives him more to lose and gain compared to Akhtyamov. At number two is Anthony Stolarz, who wants to show that he is a real deal starter.
No Leaf enters 2026-27 with more of a gulf between the best-case and worst-case outcome than Morgan Rielly.
Is Morgan Rielly going to have a good season with the Toronto Maple Leafs?
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