Toronto Maple Leafs October Outlook

The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to begin their 107th NHL regular season. They will get things started on the road in Montreal against the Canadiens on October 9th.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have plenty of storylines following them around throughout the season. How will they perform under new head coach Craig Berube? Will Auston Matthews score 53 goals and pass Mats Sundin as the Leafs all-time goal-scoring leader? Is the tandem of Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz good enough to make the Leafs a Stanley Cup contender?

Fans might not find out the answer to most of these questions, and others, until the end of the season and into the playoffs. However, just like every season, October brings a fresh start for every team. The Leafs will compete in 11 games this October to begin the season. They will have six home games and five road games.

Some games will have more meaning behind them than others, but all are crucial, and the Leafs can't afford to get off to a slow start. The more points the Leafs can collect in October, the better. Here is a look at the Leafs schedule for October.

Toronto Maple Leafs: October outlook

October 9th - Montreal Canadiens

The Leafs will begin the season on the road with a pair of back-to-back games. First, they will be in Montreal to face the Canadiens on October 9th. It will be the 769th time these two rivals will meet in a regular season game. The Leafs won all three matchups against the Canadiens last season and have won five in a row against them, dating back to the 2022-23 season. If Leafs general manager Brad Treliving signs Max Pacioretty (as expected), this game will be the first time the former Canadiens captain will play in Montreal as a member of the rival Maple Leafs.

October 10th - New Jersey Devils

On October 10th, in the second half of a back-to-back, the Leafs will be in New Jersey to play the Devils. There will be a familiar face behind the Devils bench for many Leafs players. Former head coach Sheldon Keefe is now the bench boss in New Jersey. The Devils will try to help Keefe beat his former team, and the Leafs will be looking to win against their former coach.

October 12th - Pittsburgh Penguins

The Leafs will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 12th for the Leafs home opener. Former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is in his second season as GM of the Penguins. However, the Leafs players will still want to win this game for Treliving. Plus, it's always a fun matchup when you get Sidney Crosby going head-to-head with Matthews.

October 16th - Los Angeles Kings

After a three-day break, the Leafs will host the Los Angeles Kings on October 16th. Joel Edmundson, who the Leafs acquired at the trade deadline last season, is now a member of the Kings. He signed with them as a free agent in the summer. The Leafs will want to prove to him that their defense is better without him, although it's pretty obvious that it is.

October 19th - New York Rangers

In their third game of a four-game homestand, the Leafs will host the New York Rangers on October 19th. Watching two original six teams play each other on a Saturday night is special. Both teams are expected to be in the playoffs, so these two points early in the season matter.

October 21st - Tampa Bay Lightning

On October 21st, the Leafs will host the Tampa Bay Lightning. After meeting a few times in the playoffs over recent years, there is a rivalry aspect when these two play each other. It will also be the Leafs first game of the season featured on Amazon Prime.

October 22nd - Columbus Blue Jackets

In the second game of a back-to-back, the Leafs will be in Columbus to play the Blue Jackets on October 22nd. The Blue Jackets are a team hoping to be more competitive after making a few trades this off-season.

October 24th - St. Louis Blues

The Leafs will return home to host the St. Louis Blues on October 24th. It will be the first time that new Leafs head coach Craig Berube will play his former team. Berube helped to lead the Blues to a Stanley Cup championship in 2019.

October 26th - Boston Bruins

On October 26th, the Leafs will be in Boston to play the Bruins. It will be the first meeting between the two teams since Boston eliminated the Leafs in round one of the 2024 NHL playoffs. The rivalry will continue with many familiar faces.

October 28th - Winnipeg Jets

The Leafs will remain on the road and play in Winnipeg against the Jets on October 28th. There is a weird, non-divisional rivalry between these two teams. Players like Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stanley are not very liked by Leafs Nation. This game will be featured on Amazon Prime.

October 31st - Seattle Kraken

On October 31st, the Leafs will host the Seattle Kraken. Who wouldn't want to face a sea monster on Halloween night? It is a very fitting circumstance. New Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev will play against his younger brother Brandon Tanev. I hope to see some great costumes in the crowd at Scotiabank Arena.

I will go out on a limb and predict that the Leafs will finish October with a 7-3-1 record for 15 points.