No, it hasn’t been the start to the 2025-26 season that the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted. Despite a soft, home-heavy start that was rife with opportunities, the club has scuffled out to a 5-5-1 record and now faces a degree of regular-season uncertainty that they haven’t really had to contend with in recent years.
In the meantime, it’s hard not to at least take a glimpse out west, where former Maple Leaf Mitch Marner has helped the Vegas Golden Knights out to a Pacific Division-leading 6-2-3 record while scoring 12 points (two goals, one assist) and catapulting linemate Jack Eichel into early Hart Trophy contention.
The loss of Marner has, understandably, been a focus in Toronto since the July 1 sign-and-trade that ended his nine-year tenure with the club. However, the Maple Leafs also brought in their fair share of newcomers who, while not boasting the same level of stardom as the departed winger, were expected to fill key roles this season. So, how have the new guys fared thus far?
Matias Maccelli
Most idealized scenarios for the Maple Leafs ahead of the season had Matias Maccelli taking charge as part of the top-six, blending his smart, creative play-making with the scoring prowess of any combination of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Matthew Knies.
And to be fair, the early returns were encouraging. Maccelli had a solid preseason and followed that up with an assist on Morgan Rielly’s game-winner in the club’s home opener against the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, the 25-year-old has struggled to make a significant impact and certainly hasn’t done much to spark Toronto’s offence (two goals, two assists in 11 games).
Though perhaps not exactly what the Maple Leafs might have been looking for in a top-six winger, Maccelli’s numbers to date have been perfectly serviceable, and he’s shown flashes of being dangerous on the wing. But any thoughts that he needed to get out of Utah and would thrive amidst a chance of scenery haven’t taken hold in reality yet.
Nicolas Roy
Outside of a standout showing against the Detroit Red Wings (a goal and assist, plus four shots on net) early in the season, it’s been a pretty quiet early tenure in Toronto for Nicolas Roy. A 6-foot-4 centre who came the other way in the Marner sign-and-trade, he has yet to find the same success as a physical, two-way force that he enjoyed in Vegas.
Roy has managed to carve out a niche as a trusted penalty-killer for head coach Craig Berube. In even-strength situations, though, he has struggled to create scoring opportunities in front of the net while playing with a changing rotation of linemates on what has hardly been an offensively charged third line. Defensively, the 28-year-old hasn’t been a liability, but his minus-4 plus/minus rating reveals a player that hasn’t been much of an asset yet, either.
No one came into the season expecting Roy to replace Marner, but it was reasonable to think he could duplicate some of what he provided the Golden Knights for six seasons – a few timely goals and some solid defence against some of the opposition’s top lines. That hasn’t quite materialized in Toronto as of yet.
Dakota Joshua
If things were going slightly better around the Maple Leafs these days, it would be easy to envision Dakota Joshua as an early fan favourite. The former Vancouver Canuck has come as advertised, bringing size and physicality while even potting a pair of early-season goals.
For as effectively as Joshua has thrown his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame around, he still hasn’t totally earned the full trust of Berube, as evidenced by his 11:54 of average ice time thus far. His skating makes him a defensive liability (he currently holds a team-worst minus-7 on the season), and consistency remains an issue, as he tends to disappear for stretches of games.
That being said, the physical edge Joshua provides makes up for some of those limitations and sets a tone for the rest of the team. He currently leads the Maple Leafs in hits (with 37), but occasional linemate Bobby McMann (36) is right there with him, showing that throwing your body around can be contagious.
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Cayden Primeau
It’s unclear what Cayden Primeau‘s Maple Leafs future looks like with Joseph Woll getting closer to a return, but there has probably been some mutual benefit to his brief (to date, anyway) tenure in Toronto. The 26-year-old hasn’t looked great across three games (4.30 goals-against average, .838 save percentage), but he has backstopped the club to two wins, performing serviceably as Anthony Stolarz’s backup.
Primeau’s numbers are shaky, but his performance has been pretty encouraging for a still-young goalie whose most recent game action prior to arriving in Toronto came in 2024. If he could clear waivers once Woll returns, he would be a useful bit of organizational depth in net. If not, then perhaps the former Montreal Canadien will have successfully parlayed a stint with the Maple Leafs into a return to regular NHL employment.
Sammy Blais
Everything we are evaluating here is predicated on very small sample sizes, none more than Sammy Blais and his one game with the Maple Leafs. But what a game it was – a goal, an assist and three shots on net in less than 11 minutes of ice time in what was his first game in 18 months and first time lighting the lamp in over two years.
🎙️ | Sammy Blais | Post Game vs. Columbus Blue Jackets | Oct 29 pic.twitter.com/i3e9qWaHBL
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 30, 2025
No, Blais is not likely to be a goal-per-game force or a daily multi-point threat. But his first game (set amidst the unfortunate circumstances of a blowout loss in a road game with most of the city focused on the Toronto Blue Jays) earned him a long look to see if falling back under the guidance of Berube will light a spark for the 29-year-old.
To be clear, the Maple Leafs’ underwhelming start should not fall on the shoulders of the new guys. The defensive issues that have plagued the club can largely be blamed on a blue line comprised entirely of holdovers from last season. Meanwhile, the fortunes of the organization are still intrinsically tied to the play of Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and Knies. Of course, more help from the fresh faces certainly couldn’t hurt.
