Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs May Be Finding a New Way to Win

The Maple Leafs are skating harder and hitting higher speeds than last season. The numbers suggest this team might be changing its identity.

by
Old Prof
October 12, 2026

Something interesting is happening with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, and it isn’t just about goals or wins and losses. It’s about skating. Speed isn’t everything in hockey. You can skate like the wind and still make a bad pass, take the wrong route, or chase the play. But when I look at the early NHL EDGE tracking numbers, I think there’s something worth watching.

The Maple Leafs Are Faster This Season than Last

Through the first handful of games, Toronto is already ahead of last season in every speed category provided in the data. The Maple Leafs have recorded 10 bursts above 22 miles per hour, compared with seven last season. They’ve had 128 bursts between 20 and 22 mph, up from 117, and 638 bursts between 18 and 20 mph, compared with 539.

Those numbers caught my attention because they seem to match what we’re seeing on the ice. This team looks quicker. And I’m not just talking about one or two players flying down the wing. The team moves with more urgency. Players appear to close gaps faster, recover more quickly after mistakes, and spend more time forcing the opposition to defend in its own end.

Maybe the biggest difference is what that speed allows the team to do. When you skate harder, you give yourself more options. You can pressure a defenceman before he has time to make a comfortable pass. You can get back into position after a turnover. You can turn a loose puck into an offensive opportunity before the other team has a chance to settle down.

The Maple Leafs Are Trying to Create a New Identity

Speed is important for a team trying to establish a new identity. Last season, there were stretches when the Maple Leafs looked a little too careful. This year’s early impression is different. There’s more willingness to move, pressure the puck, and take a chance, perhaps with a little more confidence that somebody will be there to help if a play goes wrong.

Of course, I need to be careful. I’m dealing with a small sample, and skating speed doesn’t automatically translate into victories. Good decisions still matter, and the schedule will eventually test this group. But I like what the early numbers suggest.

We spend plenty of time talking about new players, new coaches, and new systems. Sometimes, a team’s change shows up in something simpler: how hard its players are willing to skate. It’s early, but the Maple Leafs look like a team that’s moving with a little more purpose. If that continues, it could make a real difference over the long season ahead.