The Toronto Maple Leafs have stumbled out of the gate with an average start to the 2025-26 season, not terrible, but far from the dominant form their fans were hoping for. Their most recent loss to the Seattle Kraken provided the latest feedback, both good and bad, for coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving to ponder.
As the team works to find chemistry and integrate several new faces into the lineup, growing pains were always expected to be part of the equation. Still, in true Leafs fashion, every win or loss is magnified and dissected, fueling a wave of hot takes and early-season overreactions.
Here's a list of potential overreactions to the Maple Leafs' early-season performance through the team's first six games. Let's separate fact from fiction and assess which concerns are legitimate and which ones might be a bit premature.
Team "toughness" remains an issue for Leafs
This subject reared its ugly head again during the Maple Leafs' recent overtime loss against the Seattle Kraken. Leafs' netminder Anthony Stolarz was toppled in his crease by the Kraken's Mason Marchment, and there was no immediate response from his teammates.
The lack of a reaction has been a long, ugly tradition of this era of Maple Leafs' hockey. Rival players such as Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett have taken liberties with Toronto players with nary a retort. This time, defensemen Brandon Carlo and Jake McCabe were the nearest Leafs' players who didn't respond to a questionable hit on their teammate.
Judgment: Not an overreaction
Stolarz was upset with many things after the loss to the Kraken and called out his Leafs' teammates. Stolarz has been bumped and received contact from the opposition in almost every game he has played this season, including the preseason.
Protecting your teammates, and especially your goalie, is ingrained in the sport from the start of youth hockey. It's not a good look that the Leafs' players on the ice didn't protect Stolarz, and the goalie had to take matters into his own hands by flipping over his net to get at Marchment.
Yes, the Maple Leafs were receiving a power play, but for a team that has long been questioned about its passion and desire, there should be no thought required on what to do when the opposition goes after your goalie.
The Maple Leafs tried the enforcer route with Ryan Reaves and that was an abject failure. They need to show togetherness on the ice. Remember, too, that Matthew Knies had to take matters into his own hands last season against Zach Whitecloud of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Leafs not capitalizing on easy schedule to start the season
The overtime loss to Seattle left the Maple Leafs with seven out of a possible twelve points so far this season after six games, a .583 points-percentage. It's not a terrible start, but a closer look reveals some problems.
The start of the Leafs' schedule features many games against teams that didn't make the playoffs last season. The Maple Leafs have played five home games (3-1-1) and only one on the road (0-1-0).
Judgment: To be determined
The Maple Leafs next nine games feature the New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres (twice), the Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, the Utah Mammoth, and the Boston Bruins. Only the Devils made the playoffs last season.
After the Bruins game, the Leafs will have played fifteen games, eleven of them at home, with only two (Canadiens and Devils) against 2024-25 playoff teams. By the end of November, Toronto will have played twenty-five games, fifteen at home, ten away, only seven against participants from last year's postseason.
With the Panthers and Lightning off to slow starts and behind the Maple Leafs in the standings, Toronto must take advantage of its lighter early-season schedule. They need to build a cushion on their Atlantic Division contenders before the schedule toughens.
John Tavares is defying Father Time again
Tavares netted two goals against the Kraken. It moved him three away from becoming the 49th player in NHL history to reach 500 goals. Through six games, the Leafs' second-line center has three goals and four assists for seven points.
The GTA product has been held without a point in three of the six games, but has countered that with three multi-point games. He continues to dominate in the face-off circle and is playing over seventeen minutes per game.
Judgment: Not an overreaction
Tavares works as hard as anyone on the Maple Leafs' roster. Skating has never been a strength, but his hockey intelligence, hands, and willingness to work in tight areas are still on display.
For a much lower AAV, thanks to his team-friendly contract extension signed last offseason, Tavares continuing his career-long consistent production is a major boon for the Leafs. Tavares playing well in a second-line role allows general manager Brad Treliving to take his time while searching for a top-six forward at this year's trade deadline or during next summer's free agency period.
Tavares' strong start is a positive for the Maple Leafs, but their team toughness is sure to be rechallenged by opponents until the Leafs demonstrate a willingness to be physical when needed.
The next nine games present a real opportunity for the Leafs to solidify their place in the Atlantic Division standings. How they perform during this stretch could go a long way to setting up their season, especially in response to Stolarz's critical comments. It will determine whether optimism is warranted or if deeper concerns still need addressing.