Maple Leaf 2025-26 List Projection 2.0: Postal Free Player – Hockey Writer –

In the 2025-26 season, Toronto Maple Leaf will have a different look. The team did not offer qualified offers to Pontus Holmberg, which allowed him to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent. He signed a two-year deal with Tampa Bay Lightning. Unsurprisingly, Mitch Marner won’t return to the Maple Leafs after signing with the Vegas Golden Knights, resulting in an eight-year, $96 million contract. Even though General Manager (GM) Brad Treliving wasn’t active in free agency, he was busy with John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz agreeing to years of expansion before July 1.

There isn’t much chase in free agents, and Treliving is wise to avoid potential mine contracts. Maple Leafs’ GM acquires two players through a deal that could have an impact. The club and the Golden Knights won Nicolas Roy and brought in Matias MacCelli from Utah Mammoth in exchange for a conditional 2027 third-round pick. When the market opened, Maple Leaf had some in-depth signatures, landing Vinni Lettieri, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Travis Boyd and Michael Pezzetta. Some of them may be able to stand out from training camp at some point in the upcoming campaign, or see the NHL action in the upcoming campaign, but it is better to think of them as signings for the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies.

Treliving remains interested in the top six forwards, and the team will benefit from collecting deep Blueliners or top four candidates. The expected lineup should still be considered work in progress.

Maple leaves project to the front line

Auston Matthews and Knies locked the characters on the top line, but Marner vacated right wing position was open. William Nylander is a reasonable choice and he will be a candidate worthy of promotion. But if Nylander stays second with Tavares to create a more balanced offense, the team may be better. They used to be mixed, and it might be a bit fatigue to see them together, but it still makes the most sense given the lineup construction. Nylander, though, may still see him with Matthews and Knies with even strength and the highest power play unit for a fairly minute. Additionally, stacking top lines may be a preferred strategy when clubs need goals.

Related: Maple Leafs’ 2025-26 Roster Projection 1.0: Entering the Post-Mana Era

Maccelli spent most of his game in the NHL, on the left at the time, becoming the second line with Tavares. The 24-year-old Maccelli received 38 assists in 2022-23 and 40 assistants in 2023-24. His entertainment skills may make him a game for Matthews, but it can be said that to play side by side with shooters like Nylander and Tavares. After a disappointing performance in the 2024-25 season, McKelly has a lot of appeal in the appeal of the rebound. It’s best to upgrade on the right wing of the top line, but it makes sense to improve the Max Domi. He was largely overwhelming in two seasons of the Maple Leafs and the team needed more. The best way to achieve this might be to lift him to the top line. In 2023-24, he was successful with Matthews, contributing 11 and 12 points in 13 games.

Roy is a good bet centered on the third line, but he used to be higher in the roster and could skate when needed. The team’s lack of right-handed shooter may give him a top-level position as a winger. It’s not an ideal situation, but he did go with Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl in 2024-25 with the Golden Knights. But pairing Roy with Bobby McMann will provide Leaves with a high-profile duo capable of contributing offensively. Nicholas Robertson will offer additional scoring threats, but if he is part of the trade scheme, he may end up appear elsewhere.

Lawton is a tough pill on the fourth line considering the price of getting him from the Philadelphia flyer. However, in the playoffs, he is a reliable safety valve for Maple Leaf. Lorentz is also part of this combination, possibly trade candidate Calle Jarnkrok is known for his two-way abilities and will be a suitable complement to join the team’s check line. David Kampf is a healthy scratch in most playoffs and will play if he remains a member of the organization. Some depths of the July 1st leaf signing may land at six o’clock at the bottom, or a healthy scratch that enters the season if a deal or injury occurs.

Easton Cowan is a wildcard on the roster, but it might be better for his development to spend some time on the AHL first. However, during training camp, he should have a long look and if he has an impressive performance, he can make himself the top 9 choice. The goal has not been closed for the potential contract of unrestricted free agent Max Pacioretty, so he can still have a place in the roster.

Maple leaf projection pairing

Unlike the uncertainty of the forward line, the defense is likely to remain the same as the top six they played in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The duo of Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev may continue to tilt in 2025-26 after becoming a reliable closure combo last season. Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo matched the defense after the latter came out of the Boston Bruins. They are mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, but they are still the second pair most likely tandem. Simon Benoit and Oliver-Ekman Larsson provide solid depth while making the lack of high-end talent still a problem. That’s why the Maple Leafs’ defense ranks 18th in the league (from “The defense that the NHL team needs to upgrade”? Ranked all 32 by current quality,” sportsJune 25, 2025).

All three pairs struggled in the playoffs. While entering the lane and blocking the shooting is admirable job, the Blue Line agent lacks mobility and the ability to hockey. This is the main issue against the Florida Panthers in the second round of the playoffs. Due to the pre-examination of Black Panther, Maple Leaf often struggles to design clean breakthroughs. Backup defenders like Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis won’t help much in this regard. As a result, maple leaves should be looking for alternatives. Unless experimenting with the combination, the team needs more Rielley, especially offensive. If he returns to the highest power racing unit, he may see a jump in production, and Marner may happen. After a full boot camp, Carlo should feel more comfortable in his new environment. The higher stability of the second pair will reduce the pressure on McCabe and Tanev while reducing the need to exaggerate them.

Maple Leaf Projection Goalkeeper

While frontline and defense pairing have some issues to be solved, the team is comfortable setting between pipes. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll performed well during the 2024-25 campaign. Both NetMinders built their personal best results in game, start and win while helping the team post the third best savings percentage (fourth total of .905), and the eighth best goal per game (2.79).

While it may be a bit worrying for them to fight some injury issues, they perform like the number one goalkeeper and often provide teams with a chance to win, even if they lack goals scores. Stolarz has a superior number, which makes him the starting position for the driver’s seat, but in the 2025-26 campaign he may share his appearance in the crease with Woll.

The final thoughts about the Maple Leaf Projection Lineup

Marner’s departure left a noticeable hole that needed to be filled to the right of the top six. If the right deal is not implemented, all kinds of players will get the appearance. Maple leaves can also adjust the blue line, freeze more puck porters or keep the same people when designing better regional appearance strategies.

If the maple leaves are not splashing on the trade side, the camp may make a lot of adjustments, which helps Treliving have some valuable cap space to weaponize. However, this may not change the fact that the team will rely heavily on offensive production of Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and Knies. There is no doubt that Matthews’ form will be the biggest difference. If he returns to the 50 or 60 target threat in 2025-26, it will help a lot to get the team back on track offense. However, the roster also requires star performances from goalkeepers to stay ahead of some of the emerging teams in the Atlantic Division.