The Toronto Maple Leafs have only two nights to settle a crowded roster

Going into the preseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs have some massive decisions to make, as a crowded roster means some guys simply will not make the cut.

This year, Toronto's entire preseason is packed into two split-squad dates: Sept. 19 against Montreal and Sept. 23 against Ottawa.

The unusual part is not that Toronto has four exhibition games. Instead, it is that all four will be played on only two nights, forcing Hiller's staff to evaluate multiple roster battles at the same time.

Toronto has four preseason games but only two nights to evaluate its bubble players

During this two-night rush, Hiller will get four lineups worth of player appearances, with the evaluations taking place simultaneously.

For scale, last season, the Maple Leafs had a 73-player camp. That is a lot of cuts that have to be made. Of course, many of the players at camp won't have much of a shot at making the team. They are simply there to develop their skills, make an impression, and get some NHL preseason playing time before going to the minors.

However, these games are going to be critical for guys like Gavin McKenna. The first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft has big expectations. Jim Hiller will be looking to see if the kid is ready for top-six minutes. Meanwhile, Easton Cowan is also looking to establish himself early as he tries to make a leap in his sophomore year.

There are five other new forwards joining the team, including Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, Jack Roslovic, and Colton Sissons. All of them will look to make their case for their place in the lineup. This also extends to goaltending as the netminders will need some reps before the regular season.

Unfortunately, for PTO signings, this shortened schedule creates a conundrum. It means fewer exhibition games to make an impression. While the split squads increase capacity, repeated evaluation gets cut down, and those with part-time tryouts must make an impression quickly to get by.

Toronto's compressed preseason makes practices and first impressions unusually important

These first impressions are going to mean everything in the preseason. From PTO players to bubble prospects, making a splash early on is how to get Jim Hiller's attention.

Goaltending creates the same problem. Split-squad games allow Toronto to spread minutes around, but they also reduce the number of repeated game looks available for depth goalies fighting for position behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz.

One bad period won't be enough to keep a player off the roster. Instead, their role will be earned via numerous factors, including their camp performance. McKenna is the exception because Toronto's evaluation can continue into the regular season. He can appear in nine NHL games before his 10th activates Year 1 of his entry-level contract, giving the Leafs more runway with him than they have with most bubble players.

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