The Toronto Maple Leafs head into training camp with several question marks. While most of the lineup spots are spoken for, there are some open roster spots. While the spots have leading candidates to claim them, they are far from certain.
That situation opens the door for dark horse candidates to emerge as potential candidates to earn a roster spot on Opening Night.
So, here’s a look at three dark horse candidates to make the Maple Leafs’ roster for the 2025-26 season.
Nick Robertson
Nick Robertson may seem like an afterthought at this point. The additions of Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua have seemingly precluded Robertson from earning a spot in the Leafs’ middle six.
But then again, there’s a chance the one spot may open up. For instance, Robertson could outplay Bobby McMann for a bottom-six spot. Similarly, veterans like Calle Jarnkrok and Steven Lorentz aren’t precisely carved in stone.
So, there’s a chance that Robertson could wow the pants off Craig Berube and land himself a spot in the opening night lineup.
Henry Thrun
Henry Thrun came over in the Ryan Reaves trade. Surprisingly, the Leafs managed to get a serviceable blueliner in exchange for the beleaguered veteran enforcer.
As it stands, Thrun has the inside track for the seventh defenseman spot. But then again, the bottom pairing isn’t etched in rock, either.
The bottom pair projects to be Simon Benoit and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Thrun, 24, is younger than Benoit, and 10 years Ekman-Larsson’s junior. As such, there’s a shot that Thrun impresses and pushes someone like Benoit for sixth spot. It’s unlikely that Thrun can unseat Ekman-Larsson. But it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that a motivated Thrun could take advantage of a subpar camp by Ekman-Larsson.
It’s worth keeping Thrun in mind as he’ll likely be the first man up in case of injuries this season.
Michael Pezzetta
Michael Pezzetta came over as a free-agent signing this summer. He got a two-year deal with a $812,500 AAV. That’s hardly an earth-shattering move. But it was one hailed as prudent by pundits. Pezzetta has a mean streak to him and fits Craig Berube’s mold quite well. So, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Pezzetta be one of the final cuts this summer.
Nevertheless, injuries and poor performance could open the door for Pezzetta on the fourth line. He could push Lorentz for a spot. He could also jump into the lineup if Jarnkrok goes down. While he’s a bit of a long shot, training camp provides many players with a unique opportunity to capitalize on the right set of circumstances.