Maple Leafs already testing a vulnerable Senators team after Brady Tkachuk's departure

The Toronto Maple Leafs' new schedule hype video poked fun at their biggest rivals, but the Ottawa Senators got the biggest heat from their provincial rivals.

Earlier this week the Maple Leafs' schedule was released and fans had the chance to circle several important games the calendar including the returns of Joseph Woll and Nick Robertson to Toronto as well as Sergei Bobrovsky's return to Florida after signing with Toronto this summer.

There's certainly a lot of excitement surrounding the season as not only does the team have a new front office, new head coach, and new lineup but also have the pleasure of bringing in first overall pick Gavin McKenna into the fold - and the hype train is running at full force.

So to get even more hyped, the Maple Leafs decided to put together a social media video that poked fun at some of their biggest rivals while giving the fans a chance to circle the dates.

Maple Leafs take direct aim at the Senators after losing Brady Tkachuk to the Panthers

Several teams were at the forefront of the roast which involved two Maple Leafs staff sending back items to various teams. Boston had a bag of clam chowder, and Montreal was a smoked meat sandwich before turning gears to Florida - which was a tiny little rat.

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But it was the Ottawa Senators and specifically their loss of captain Brady Tkachuk that was a real shot. As one member pulled out a microphone clearly designed for podcasting, they mention shipping it to Ottawa when the other quickly reminds them that it'll be sent instead to Florida.

Obviously, the mic was a reference to the Wingmen podcast both Brady and Matthew Tkachuk host and it's a clear and direct shot at their Battle of Ontario rivals; even scratching out when they were going to play.

Sure the rat comment could certainly be seen as a shot too, but if you know the lore of the Florida Panthers prior to their dynastic intentions, it makes sense.

The Battle of Ontario gets even more heated after Toronto's offseason acquisitions

Well not only did the Maple Leafs get tougher overall but they added a former Senator who is going to be a pain in their side - Nick Paul.

Spending seven seasons with Ottawa, Paul was always someone who would find a way to annoy and pester the Maple Leafs at every turn. Though his offence picked up once he reached Tampa Bay, he was always defensively sound and a huge presence on the ice, and now Toronto gets to reap the benefits.

He does have four points in 12 career games vs. Ottawa though, so he does have the potential to add some offensive firepower to his defensive and physical game.

Ottawa lost arguably their most aggravating and antagonizing player in Tkachuk, so it gives the Maple Leafs a bit more freedom to dictate the pace and play a more physical style without the risk of being targeted by the former captain.

Toronto plays Ottawa on Oct. 3 so it won't be too long before we get a new Battle of Ontario saga in 2026-27, and it's one that is going to look and feel a lot different given that now the Maple Leafs are the ones who are gonna be annoying to play against this year.

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