Jack Roslovic playing his best for Maple Leafs, just later than he wished

SEATTLE — Jack Roslovic is riding the high of his best October yet, and it’s not particularly close.

Prior to Monday’s loss in Calgary and Tuesday’s flight to Seattle, his team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, had just ripped off four consecutive regulation wins, outscoring the opposition 21-9. Three of those victims were all former teams of the winger, who has spent his career ping-ponging around lines and throughout the league.

In a span of five days, Roslovic splashed the scoresheet against his old pals on the Rangers, Blue Jackets, and Oilers. Six points in three revenge games. A newly entrenched first-liner hopping the boards with one of his buddies and tripling down with money on the board.

“An expensive week for him,” Auston Matthews smiles.

Yet when you approach the smiling 29-year-old in the Rogers Place visitors’ room Saturday night after a 7-2 thumping of the most recent organization that didn’t re-sign him, Roslovic tries to wave the microphones away.

“Go talk to him,” Roslovic motions to goalie Anthony Stolarz. “He’s the star of the game.”

When pressed, the player cops to some added emotions lately.

“I mean, playing with a little edge. You know, a little something special for me,” Roslovic allows. “But at the end of the day, it’s still a game for our team and just liking that we're all playing the right way.”

NHL life has never felt so right so swiftly for the Columbus native, who signed his first multi-year contract since 2022 with the Leafs this summer and has already piled 13 points through 14 games.

Stapled to Matthews’ right wing, Roslovic’s average ice time (16:36) is his most in six years. While head-to-head versus stiffer matchups, he’s helping tilt the ice more aggressively than in his 10 previous seasons, and his top speed bursts rate among the league’s elite.

Perhaps it’s only a hot start, but Roslovic is on pace for 78 points and his first 30-goal showing. He’s never tallied more than 22 goals or 45 points in a single season.

You can question the sustainability, credit his centreman, or simply marvel at the lightning in the bottle.

“The relationship he has with Auston, that’s a really important part of it,” coach Jim Hiller says. “A few nights ago in Columbus, I said that was the best game I've ever seen him play. I've watched him play in the league many nights, and he's been good. And some nights I didn't notice him as much. He's really turned into an everyday player. It's just great to see, but I would say the relationship has most to do with that.”

Good friends since their junior days as two-thirds of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program’s “Superman Line” (with Matthew Tkachuk), Roslovic and Matthews are bringing out the best in each other on the ice and off.

“He’s a really smart player,” Matthews says. “Skates obviously so, so well, and I just feel like the chemistry with myself and him has gotten better and better as we’ve gotten more reps.

“Now we have a really good understanding of where we want to play and how we want to play and where each other are at, no matter who’s on the left side.”

For now, that’s scrappy sophomore Easton Cowan, wowed by Roslovic’s straight-line speed: “A very smooth skater. I didn't know a whole lot about him, but just a really good skater. Super smart — and he can fly. So, a lot of fun playing with him.”

Matthews and Roslovic tried to concoct this reunion back in the summer of 2025, when Brad Treliving managed the Leafs. Roslovic ended up toiling away on the UFA board until Oct. 8, when he lowered his price and signed in Edmonton for cheap. 

Roslovic tells us that UFA experience was more stressful than when he held out for a trade from the Winnipeg Jets, the club that drafted him, early in his career.

“Gosh, that was a massive whirlwind for me. I thought there was an opportunity here, but that was more my agent’s workings. I’ve kept a relationship with all the guys from the U.S. program, and when there was even a hint of maybe coming here, I was excited to come play with Auston. Didn't work out last year, but I’m glad it worked out,” Roslovic says. 

“Everything happens for a reason, you know? That’s another thing you learn. Keep on working hard, stay comfortable, push hard, and things will figure themselves out.”

Roslovic recalls fondly the first time he met Matthews at the Program’s 40-man camp.

“He was still big, like he is now. Everyone knew him as a roller hockey player outta AZ. Pretty inconspicuous. Then we got on the ice, and everyone was like, ‘All right, we get it,’” Roslovic chuckles.  

Roslovic will readily admit he gets it now more than he used to.

He thinks back to his pro beginnings in Winnipeg, to taking control of his career as a restricted free agent, missing camp and the start of the 2020-21 season, and pushing for a move that ultimately took him home to Ohio as part of the Patrik Laine–Pierre-Luc Dubois blockbuster. 

We’re seeing similar control-my-own-destiny decisions being made across the NHL landscape this fall.

“You want to be comfortable where you play,” Roslovic says. “That’s how you get the best out of yourself individually. And at the end of the day, that’s what every one of the 700 guys in the league is trying to do. When you come to a team, 21 guys or 25 guys are trying to do the best for themselves while knowing the team goal is still the ultimate. 

“It sucks, obviously, not being able to be in a spot that you might not feel comfortable in. It’s the player’s choice to be able to do that. So, never fun, obviously. They hold your rights and they hold a lot of cards as an RFA, but the biggest thing is just your comfortability as a player.”

Roslovic says, “You’re going back a while” when his Manitoba tenure is brought up, chalking up his wish to switch teams as a function of restless youth and “that idea of being comfortable, knowing where you can grow. Maybe I didn't feel like I could grow there anymore, or whatever it was.”

As a rule, we’ve found NHLers who have played for multiple organizations to be blessed with a richer perspective on the league.

“I always say that being on six teams, it's really cool to contrast. You bring a lot of things from a lot of different teams. I've been fortunate enough as well to play on some really good teams, to play conference finals and be able to see what it takes to get there. Obviously, I've never reached the pinnacle, putting in some really good efforts in the playoffs and seeing what it takes every day to be a good winning team,” says the former Ranger and Hurricane. 

“I can talk to you all day about specifics, about players and coaches and teams that all kind of do it a little bit differently. But the uniqueness of this (Leafs) team is only, really, I've seen it in one other place — just the camaraderie. Knowing the process. I feel like the togetherness through the lows that we have had through this year, which would be really short, has been positive.”

No sulking. No hung heads. Everyone buying in and backing each other up. 

As one of several new Leafs on multi-year deals, Roslovic is both an integral piece of the great John Chayka refresh and himself refreshed.

“Guys in the room have been awesome. Ten new guys coming in, the team camaraderie is special. Familiarity with some of the guys, familiarity with some of the staff has been beneficial for not only me but all the new guys,” he says. “We are having a lot of fun and winning a lot of games.”

Roslovic raves about Toronto’s arranged team-bonding efforts to bring the boys to Matthews’ pad in Arizona during training camp and to spend a free Sunday in Park City, Utah, at a resort to go fly fishing and watch NFL as teammates.

OK, so which of Roslovic’s other five stops had such an encouraging culture?

“I'm not gonna tell you that,” he smiles. “You can probably take a guess.”

Roslovic’s journey has taught him the truth in clichés. One nugget he’d tell his younger self: The next day is gonna come. 

“For me and a lot of guys, as elite athletes, if you don’t get the best of yourself and you don't perform the way you want to perform, it can wear on you a lot. So, the biggest thing is keeping your head high and coming to work the next day, whatever the reason might be for being down on yourself,” he says.

“It’s the wave of the year, and I'm not naïve to it anymore. I was when I was a kid. But I've liked our team game. I've liked the way I've been playing and the way I've been battling. Once again, as an elite athlete, you're a bit of a perfectionist. I know the work never, ever stops, and you've got to keep on going.”