Toronto Maple Leafs

Five Things the Maple Leafs Need to Get Right This Season

The Maple Leafs have plenty of new pieces. But for the playoffs to happen, several things have to go right — and quickly.

by
Old Prof
August 12, 2026

If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to make the playoffs in 2026-27, it’s not going to be because everything goes perfectly. It’s going to be because a few key things break the right way and almost from the start of the season. Then they have to keep breaking the right way long enough to matter. And honestly, the Maple Leafs feel like a team where the season could swing hard in either direction, mostly because so much is new.

New GM, new faces, new coaching staff, and a totally different roster mix than last year. So instead of asking if the team will be good, the better question is what has to go right for this thing to actually work?

Things That Have to Go Right for the Maple Leafs

First and biggest: Auston Matthews has to be Auston Matthews. Not “kind of close,” not “coming back from something,” but the real version—healthy, productive, and carrying that superstar weight. If he’s not right, everything else gets harder. The playoffs usually don’t happen for teams that need other guys to cover for their top player at the same time.

Second, Gavin McKenna can’t just be a prospect who’s going to be exciting in the future. He has to contribute now and look like a legitimate NHL difference-maker. If he’s a dud, the ceiling of the team basically disappears. Darren Raddysh also has to be what he’s advertised to be. That means he needs to be a real puck-mover on the back end. He must be confident, reliable, and help Toronto start plays instead of just surviving in their own end.

Gavin McKenna Maple Leafs footage — Gavin McKenna Maple Leafs

Third, the new players have to fit immediately. Chayka’s summer moves sound built around roles—bigger, faster, more experienced bottom-six guys who can win puck battles and play the tough minutes. If Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and the rest of that group actually buy in and do their jobs, Toronto gets harder to play against. If they don’t, the whole “we redesigned the roster” idea turns into chaos. Then fans start asking why the Maple Leafs made all those changes.

Fourth, Toronto’s goaltending has to be dependable enough to keep them in games. Whether that’s Bobrovsky giving them quality starts instead of ‘some good, some rough,’ or Anthony Stolarz having a bit of a rebirth as the goalie he was two seasons ago with the Maple Leafs, Toronto needs dependable goaltending.

Fifth, and finally, you add the boring stuff. The special teams and defensive structure must work. The Maple Leafs can’t just rely on offence and vibes. They need consistent penalty killing and enough defensive discipline to keep games from turning into panic mode.

The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs

Here’s what you might be missing otherwise. The Maple Leafs’ season may ultimately depend on whether they can turn those pieces into something coherent. The best-case path is clear. That includes Matthews staying healthy, the new forwards locking in, Bobrovsky being steady, McKenna contributing and hitting that sort of production, Raddysh actually moving the puck like a legit option, and the coaching system clicking.

If that happens, Toronto can absolutely make the playoffs. If not? This could become a “next era” rebuild way faster than anyone wants.