The new front office, led by John Chayka and Mats Sundin, has not wasted any time putting its stamp on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The drafting of top prospect Gavin McKenna first overall, and the addition of future Hall-of-Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky through free agency highlighted an eventful first two months at the helm. The team's bottom-six forwards were also given a completely fresh look through the open market.
The overhaul has brought positive momentum and a much-needed dose of excitement to the organization and fan base. The true test comes when the new season begins in October, but one former NHL goaltender likes what Toronto has done.
TSN Analyst Weighs In on Toronto's Offseason
After a whirlwind of action around the NHL Draft and free agency, TSN analyst Martin Biron was asked to break down the Atlantic Division looking ahead to the 2026-27 season during a segment on SportsCentre with host Sarah Davis. The former NHL goaltender foresees much change within the division ranks.
He listed the teams in reverse order of his predicted finish. Biron forecasted the bottom four teams to be the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Tampa Bay Lightning. He sees the Buffalo Sabres taking a step back, thanks to the losses of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, plus a regression in their goaltending, to finish fourth in the division. He has the Montreal Canadiens finishing third despite limited offseason activity other than signing some of their good, young core players.
In a take that the Maple Leafs and their fans would jump at, Biron sees Toronto finishing second in the division. He called Bobrovsky an "excellent addition" because the Leafs needed better goaltending. He admitted the new Toronto netminder's age is a concern, but explained that even "if he only plays 45, it's going to be 45 quality games."
His predicted Atlantic Division winner for 2026-27 was the Florida Panthers. He acknowledged the additions of Brady Tkachuk and Radko Gudas to further Florida's toughness, but suggested the return of captain Alexander Barkov as the biggest reason for the Panthers' turnaround.
Davis then asked Biron about his biggest factors in why the Maple Leafs will turn things around next year after their disastrous 2025-26 season. His first point was the return to form of captain Auston Matthews. The TSN analyst feels McKenna's playmaking ability will help the sniper reach the fifty-goal mark again, even allowing for some rookie-season hiccups. Another big factor noted by Biron was a long summer of rest and rehabilitation for Matthews after last season's knee injury. Being in better shape and being healthy again will help the Leafs' captain.
Biron's last reason for a Toronto bounce-back was better goaltending. With Bobrovsky on board, it should help his former partner, Anthony Stolarz, stay healthy and perform better. Biron also mentioned Artur Akhtyamov getting a sprinkling of ten games, and that the defining roles for everyone should help the Maple Leafs in the crease.
The return to form for Matthews and much better goaltending are why Biron sees a giant leap in the standings for Toronto, with the team joining Florida at the top. If it happens, those two teams would jump over all their division rivals based on last year's results. The Maple Leafs and their fans would sign up for that.
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