The schedule for the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2026-27 season was announced on Thursday and while most of it is just seeing what special games we have to circle on our calendar, there are some major advantages and disadvantages for all 32 teams across the NHL.
Unfortunately, the Leafs were handed one of the biggest disadvantages of them all.
The Maple Leafs' schedule contains one major concern
As some combed through the entire schedule of all 32 NHL teams and compared them, the key differentiator is how often teams play back-to-back games, and who gets to face an opponent that is in the second half of a back-to-back.
Since fatigue is such a major factor in the sport we love, being on the second half of a back-to-back should be a significant disadvantage for that team. And vice versa, if you're a team that gets to play a whole lot of games against a tired team, then you might just get a leg up on a lot of other teams.
Well, the Leafs sort of got screwed in that category.
Number of games NHL teams have when they face an opponent on the second half of a back-to-back. Quite the difference from MTL to TOR and WPG. pic.twitter.com/yxoKwDaTrE
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) July 16, 2026
The Leafs have a total of 11 back-to-backs in their schedule. It's not the most out of any team -- the Penguins and their 15 back-to-backs get that crown -- but it is just about the average. So not a big sway either way.
But, when it comes to teams getting to face those fatigued teams on the second half of a back-to-back, Toronto got barely any of that. The Leafs have just five of their 84 games where they get to play a team that should theoretically be more tired than they are. That is tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the fewest in the entire league.
Not only that but the archrival Montreal Canadiens lead the NHL with 19(!) games of playing a team on that second game in less than 24 hours. Almost four times as much as Toronto -- just one little thing that we could see affect this crucial season for the Leafs.
If we want them to try and get as many points as possible, to try and get back into the playoffs after the disaster that was last season, this might be something that keeps them from making the most of it.
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