Toronto Maple Leafs

Why the Maple Leafs Could Surprise the Atlantic This Season

The Maple Leafs may not be expected to make the playoffs. But three reasons suggest they could be better in the Atlantic Division.

by
Old Prof
September 23, 2026

Preseason’s underway, and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ split-squad games against Montreal were a little sobering. But before fans panic, I want to explain why this team might be better positioned than people think in the Atlantic. Even in what’s probably the toughest division in hockey, this team has a good chance of making the postseason.

Three Reasons the Maple Leafs Could Make the Postseason

Reason One: The Maple Leafs have to be better in division play, and they know it.

Last year the Maple Leafs went a brutal 7-15-4 against Atlantic rivals. Detroit swept them, and Buffalo took seven of eight points. The whole thing was a mess. And under the new 84-game schedule, teams now play all seven division rivals four times each instead of three or four. So that weakness is getting magnified even more. But that also means there’s plenty of room for improvement by fixing what broke them last year.

Reason Two: The Maple Leafs added players with a chip on their shoulder.

Toronto brought in Sergei Bobrovsky and Darren Raddysh from division rivals. Both arrived in Toronto after leaving teams they had helped compete against the Maple Leafs. Bobrovsky’s a Hall of Famer that Florida players have raved about for his impact on and off the ice. Raddysh just had a legit top-pairing calibre season for Tampa. Neither one got paid what they were probably worth by their old squads, and now they’re walking into Toronto with something to prove against the exact teams that let them go. That kind of motivation can swing games.

Reason Three: The division rosters aren’t dramatically different from last year — except Toronto’s.

Most of the Atlantic is running back similar rosters to last season, but the Maple Leafs turned over basically half their NHL roster and brought in a brand new head coach, the only team in the division to do so. That’s a real reset. And schedule-wise, aside from two early games against Montreal and Ottawa, they’ve got only one division game in their next 14. That’s a real window to find their footing before the division gauntlet ramps up.

The Bottom Line: It Won’t Be Easy, But It Is Possible

No one is saying making the playoffs will be easy. Last year’s Western Conference finalists wouldn’t have made the playoffs with their point total in the East. That’s how brutal the Atlantic is.

But between a roster shake-up, motivated newcomers, and a real shot to fix what broke them last season, the Maple Leafs have a legit case to surprise people this year. We’ll see soon how good this team can be.