The Toronto Maple Leafs finished the 2025-26 regular season outside the playoff circle for the first time since 2015-16, signalling major changes within the organization. With a new front office, John Chayka and Mats Sundin will have some tough decisions to make while strengthening the team in all areas.
The Maple Leafs struggled everywhere this past season. On the defensive end, they couldn't stop the opposing team from scoring, while their offence was widely inconsistent, and their netminders at times couldn't stop a beach ball. The Maple Leafs quite simply didn't have the star power to compete with the top teams in the NHL this past season.
Maple Leafs need more depth down the middle
One of the areas where they didn't have consistent depth was on the offensive end. John Tavares, at 35 years old, was tasked with carrying a massive load of the offence. Tavares signed a team-friendly $4.3 million deal last summer, leaving cap space for the Maple Leafs to make additions to the roster; however, that did not end up happening, and they can't make that same mistake this time around.
Throughout the course of the season, Tavares slowed down. He was extremely productive to begin the season, but as time went on, he wasn't able to play to the level people are accustomed to. Despite this, he still managed 31 goals and 71 assists playing all 82 games, something the Maple Leafs did not want to do heading into the season. With how inconsistent the team was, Tavares was never able to catch a break within the lineup, which obviously hurt him down the stretch.
Important summer ahead for the Maple Leafs
Heading into this pivotal offseason, general manager John Chayka needs to understand the importance of adding talent up front, especially down the middle. If the Maple Leafs can acquire a top-six centre, it can relieve some of Tavares duties, leaving them with a deep centre core which every team needs, if they want to go on a run for the Stanley Cup.
A top six featuring Matthews, Nylander, Matthew Knies, and another solid centre would allow Toronto to spread out scoring much more effectively. An acquisition at that level can allow younger players such as Easton Cowan to enter better offensive situations instead of being forced into difficult assignments early in their NHL careers.
A deeper forward group and a reduced workload for Tavares could benefit the Maple Leafs forward core. If the Maple Leafs want to become a more complete team capable of returning to contention, this may be exactly the type of change they need moving forward.
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