Maple Leafs training camp preview: But will the major overhaul work?

TORONTO — New ownership. 

New front office. 

New coaching staff. 

New starting goalie. 

New top defenceman. 

New starting goaltender. 

New bottom six.

New teenage hope.

None of the NHL’s other 31 franchises underwent anything close to the type of wholesale overhaul the Toronto Maple Leafs did in the 2026 off-season. And after plummeting from top five to bottom five in one year, no other team was screaming for such a drastic and dramatic reset.

So, the Leafs’ will arrive at Ford Performance Centre on Day 1 of training camp rested and refreshed and, quite possibly, with HELLO, My Name Is… stickers on their chests. 

The mission of 2025-26’s most disappointing team is to leap right back into the playoffs, which they missed for the first time in the Auston Matthews–William Nylander era.

For the first time in a long time, September brims with intrigue and fresh faces. Expectations have lowered. Curiosity has heightened.

“It’s all about how we build the chemistry and the belief inside the locker room, get together, go through the challenges, and become closer as a group,” said Sergei Bobrovsky, already part of the leadership group.

“We’re going to get ready, and the regular season will arrive quickly. We have to make sure every minute we spend on the ice is quality.”

Salary cap space: –$2.75 million
GM: John Chayka
Head coach: Jim Hiller
Assistant coaches: Daniel Alfredsson, John Gruden, Brad Werenka, Curtis Sanford (goalies)
Unsigned players: Nick Blankenburg (PTO)
Key additions: Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh, Gavin McKenna, Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Colton Scissons, Brandon Duhaime, Emil Andrae, Teddy Blueger, Zack MacEwan
Key subtractions: Joseph Woll, Brandon Carlo, Nick Robertson, Matias Maccelli, Dennis Hildeby, Simon Benoit, Calle Järnkrok

What we'll learn during the pre-season

1. How healthy are these guys, anyway?

Matthews hasn’t played a hockey game in over six months and is coming off knee surgery. If Chris Tanev gets the green light for opening night, it will mark his first action in nine months. Anthony Stolarz’s only two Leafs campaigns have ended early with a trip to the doctor’s. Two injuries limited Nick Paul to 51 games played last season. A botched surgery is keeping Max Domi out indefinitely. Nylander (groin) and Matthew Knies (knee) both played through nagging ailments for months.

Surely, Toronto’s longest off-season in a decade helped with rest and rehab. But not until we lay eyes on the squad will we know how fit they are for the grind. 

Matthews can ill afford a sluggish start, of course. But the biggest mystery here is Tanev, who managed just 11 games in 2025-26. Without the reliable righty, the defence risks crumbling again.

2. How will Matthews and Tavares be deployed?

John Chayka’s remolding of the bottom six with skaters who under they are bottom sixers was, in part, his effort to prop up Matthews and John Tavares for more offensive-zone starts. 

The captain killed penalties under former coach Craig Berube and started 42.2 per cent of his shifts in the D-zone. Expect that number to shrink, as Chayka and Jim Hiller emphasize play to the sniper’s greatest weapon.

3. Who’s the odd man out on the power play?

New power-play czar Daniel Alfredsson can etch Darren Raddysh, Matthews and Nylander in ink, but that leaves just two spots on PP1 for shoot-first Tavares, net presence Knies and young Gavin McKenna.

Tie goes to the veterans, right? 

Not so fast. Mitch Marner’s departure left a playmaking void on the man-advantage. Domi and Matias Maccelli gave it a go. McKenna’s hands and vision are elite enough to complement the top group.

4. Where does McKenna fit?

There is a delicate balance to strike with the No. 1 overall pick. Power-play minutes should be earned, yet the extra time and space could allow the 18-year-old to gain confidence that will come harder when he’s tightly checked by grownups five-on-five.

As for even strength: Does Hiller immediately give the kid first-line duties, making McKenna the Robin to Matthews’ Batman? That spells pressure and tougher matchups. Does the coach make the rookie work his way up from the third line, where he could be more sheltered but lack a centreman with finish? Or does McKenna ride shotgun with his landlord (Tavares) and bring work home with him?

5. How secure is Emil Andrae’s job?

We already wrote about this at length, but the most significant return in the Joseph Woll trade finds himself in prove-it territory with his new squad. Hence the bridge deal.

Troy Stecher is a fighter; he won’t give up his spot easy. And camp invite Nick Blankenburg, 28, is coming off his busiest and best season as a pro.

The younger Andrae (two goals, 13 points in 2025-26) was targeted for smooth breakouts ability to fuel the offence, yet both Blankenburg (eight goals, 16 points) and Stecher (there goals, 14 points) outproduced the lefty last season.

Bold prediction

The Maple Leafs will trade for a legitimate defenceman in-season.

With all due respect to the current blueline, which is loaded with respected veterans, Toronto’s best five defencemen have and average age of 33. Be it injury or natural decline that comes with wear and tear, we have a hard time seeing this group holding the fort for all 84 games and beyond.

There is a reason Chayka was so eager to make a bid for Zach Werenski. The GM won’t sit on his hands if (a) a puck-moving upgrade presents itself or (b) Toronto begins trending toward 295 goals allowed — which is how many it gave up last season, more than anyone in the East.

Projected lines

Knies — Matthews — Roslovic
McKenna — Tavares — Nylander
Cowan — Sissons — Paul
Joshua — Blueger — Duhaime
Lorentz

McCabe — Raddysh
Rielly — Tanev
Andrae — Ekman-Larsson
Stecher

Bobrovsky
Stolarz