There certainly wasn’t much positives to be found from a disappointing 2025-26 NHL season by the Toronto Maple Leafs. After all, the Maple Leafs struggled offensively, defensively and in the goaltending department while finishing 28th in the standings with 78 points, 31st in goals against with 295 and dead last in shot against per game with 32.4.
Nevertheless, there was still a few bright spots that shone among the rubble that Toronto can take away from their rough campaign. Here, we will take a look at the three biggest surprises from the 2025-26 Maple Leafs season.
Dennis Hildeby performing at an NHL level
If we told Leafs fans that Dennis Hildeby would be the one leading the team in the major goaltending statistical categories at the end of the 2025-26 season, no one would have believed it. But here we are with Hildeby putting together a strong year for Toronto when most of the others were struggling. Despite posting a 5-7-4 record, the 24-year-old rookie goaltender would play over 1000 minutes and 20 total games for the Leafs while leading the team in goals against average (2.86) and save percentage (.912). That was a drastic improvement from his brief stint with the Maple Leafs in 2024-25 where he compiled a 3-3-0 record with a 3.33 GAA and .872 save percentage in six games of action.
With both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll not at their very best over the course of the season, Hildeby gave the Leafs some hope in that they still have some quality, NHL-ready goaltending depth at their disposal going forward. Having that could enable Toronto to make the necessary moves this offseason to help get the team back on track and into the Stanley Cup playoffs once again in the near future..
Benoit-Olivier Groulx's immediate production
Another surprise was one of the Leafs’ so-called depth acquisitions during the 2025 offseason in forward Bo Groulx. Groulx was inked to a two-year, $1.625 million contract among others this past summer by Toronto. The 26-year-old former second-round pick from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft would spend the bulk of his 2025-26 campaign with the Toronto Marlies where he amassed a team-leading 28 goals and 24 assists in 59 games played.
But when the Leafs depleted a portion of their everyday roster at the trade deadline, various Marlies players got their opportunity to have a taste of the NHL down the stretch and Groulx happened to be one of them. The 26-year-old forward would make the most of his opportunity, recording three goals and two assists for five points in 12 games of action with the Maple Leafs. More importantly, he showed that he could actually be a strong contributor in the bottom six for Toronto, something that the Leafs failed to find for the bulk of their 2025-26 season. As a result, Groulx could become a key viable piece of the Maple Leafs retool or rebuild going forward.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson being the Leafs' top defenseman
Finally, no one really expected Oliver Ekman-Larsson to rediscover his old star form this year, especially not after he had turned 34 already entering the 2025-26 campaign with the Leafs. On top of that, Ekman-Larsson had seen his numbers on the decline the previous five seasons, including a buyout, and had been playing lower in the lineup for much of his past few years in the NHL.
However, the veteran defenseman showed that he could turn back the clock as he put together his best season since 2018-19 with the Arizona Coyotes. In 78 games, Ekman-Larssom posted eight goals and 31 assists for 39 points. More significantly, he was actively aggressive and physical on the ice, racking up 70 penalty minutes while dishing out 86 hits and recording 72 blocked shots in the process. His strong play didn’t go unnoticed as he was even selected by Team Sweden to their Olympic roster this past winter as a result. Fortunately Ekman-Larsson wasn’t traded at the deadline by the Leafs, as they now have a revitalized top-four defender at their disposal to help lead the team back into contention in the coming years.
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