After an eventful offseason that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs make many drastic changes to their management team and roster, they certainly haven’t gotten off to the start that many Maple Leafs fans have expected. In 18 games played to date, Toronto has compiled just a 8-8-2 record to sit second last in the Atlantic Division and two points out of a playoff spot.
Despite the disappointing start to their 2026-27 campaign, the Maple Leafs managed to still possess a secret weapon that has kept them afloat and in contention as a result. That secret weapon has come from the strength of their special teams play.
The Maple Leafs have been living and dying with their special teams this season
Entering Sunday, the Leafs power play currently rank sixth in the entire league with a solid 28.6% success rate. Toronto trails only the Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and surprisingly the Utah Mammoth with a scorching 37.1% success rate. For a team that struggled mightily with the man advantage for a good chunk of their 2025-26 NHL season, the Maple Leafs have found their identity once again this season. With newcomer Darren Raddysh manning the point in their top unit, along with the emergence of Kirill Marchenko, Easton Cowan and rookie Gavin McKenna also contributing already as well, together with the usual suspects in Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares have made the Leafs power play one of the most feared in the league.
Not only that, their penalty killing have been just as good, if not even better. After starting the season with an almost unfathomable perfect performance, the Maple Leafs have normalized more towards the mean but currently still sported an elite 86.9% penalty kill success rate through 18 games. For that aspect, you can credit Leafs GM John Chayka for his many offseason moves to help establish their shorthanded units. The aggressive play and presence of the likes of Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime and Nick Paul have all made their mark on the kill, averaging over two minutes a game shorthanded for the Leafs.
If it hadn’t been their special teams propping up the team so far this season, the Maple Leafs could actually be even in a worst spot in the standings. Their play 5-on-5 have been underwhelming to say the least, but they can’t expect their special teams to bail them out in the long haul. As a result, Toronto will need to step up their even strength play to help take the team to the next level and string together more consistent wins. Otherwise, if their secret weapon starts failing, the Maple Leafs season could begin to turn ugly fast.
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