Toronto Maple Leafs' Biggest Weakness Could Derail Their Season
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs might still be in a good position this season, but according to The Hockey Writers, the team is in serious chance of regressing.
With a lot of discussion around how the Toronto Maple Leafs will handle the loss of Mitch Marner, they've done pretty well for themselves to add as much depth as possible and give them a chance to work through committee as opposed to relying on just the stars.
We're seeing a team that has a lot more flexibility albeit with a bit of a logjam with their forward group, and while there are still moves to be made, the team is set to at least compete in the Atlantic Division.
Why Mitch Marner's Departure Could Reshape the Maple Leafs' Offense
However, an Atlantic title may not be in their future according to The Hockey Writers. In a recent article about teams who may face regression in 2025-26, the Maple Leafs were named and it's because they might not be able to have the same help they had last year:
The Maple Leafs are one of the more interesting regression candidates entering next season.
They won the Atlantic Division with 52 wins and 108 points, but they will have a different look going into 2025-26. Mitch Marner signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency, and there's only so much they can do to replace him.
To be fair to general manager Brad Treliving, he's made some decent moves to shore up their depth after losing Marner.
Matias Maccelli is a good bounce-back candidate, and Dakota Joshua is a competent bottom-six forward. They can help make up for some of the 100 points they lost in Marner, and Treliving likely has some more moves in the works.
They won the Atlantic Division with 52 wins and 108 points, but they will have a different look going into 2025-26. Mitch Marner signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency, and there's only so much they can do to replace him.
To be fair to general manager Brad Treliving, he's made some decent moves to shore up their depth after losing Marner.
Matias Maccelli is a good bounce-back candidate, and Dakota Joshua is a competent bottom-six forward. They can help make up for some of the 100 points they lost in Marner, and Treliving likely has some more moves in the works.
It's going to certainly be tough to replace a 100+ point player, although the Leafs do have several players capable of reaching that mark or at least getting close. If Auston Matthews can get back his scoring touch while also being that elite playmaker he can be; it might bring him close to it.
Goaltending Success Will Be Hard to Replicate in 2025-26
But it also depends a ton on the health of their goalies and if they can replicate the incredible tandem they brought forth last year.
The article states:
Part of the reason the Maple Leafs outperformed some of their expected numbers was that they had some of the best goaltending in the NHL.
They finished with a .926 save percentage at five-on-five, second best to Hellebuyck and the Jets.
Anthony Stolarz is one of the more underrated goalies in the NHL, as he's posted a .925 SV% across his last 57 NHL games. His backup, Joseph Woll, was solid, too, saving 16.8 goals above expected.
Between them, Stolarz and Woll saved 42.6 goals above expected.
Even with Stolarz's recent form, it'll be tough to repeat those efforts, especially since the Maple Leafs, as of now, have a weaker roster heading into next season.
And the odds of taking a step back from 108 points only increase if they don't improve as a team at five-on-five.
They finished with a .926 save percentage at five-on-five, second best to Hellebuyck and the Jets.
Anthony Stolarz is one of the more underrated goalies in the NHL, as he's posted a .925 SV% across his last 57 NHL games. His backup, Joseph Woll, was solid, too, saving 16.8 goals above expected.
Between them, Stolarz and Woll saved 42.6 goals above expected.
Even with Stolarz's recent form, it'll be tough to repeat those efforts, especially since the Maple Leafs, as of now, have a weaker roster heading into next season.
And the odds of taking a step back from 108 points only increase if they don't improve as a team at five-on-five.
It's going to be very hard for both men to do the same thing as last season, and while both Stolarz and Woll are more than capable of weathering what the division throws at them, the injury concerns are legitimate.
The team needs to depend heavily on their goaltenders and if they aren't elite and only good; that's going to ruin things pretty quickly.
Only a few select goalies can consistently put up season after season with top numbers, and it's even harder for those who have injury histories to keep it up regularly.
Toronto is certainly going to hope so, because it might be their biggest chance to win this season.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 9 | 1275 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs' Biggest Weakness Could Derail Their Season Do you think the Maple Leafs will take a step back this season? | ||
| Yes | 611 | 47.9 % |
| No | 664 | 52.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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