Following a chaotic 2025-26 season that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs miss the playoffs after Mitch Marner’s departure, the organization parted ways with general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube. In response, new general manager John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin launched a complete overhaul of the franchise.
Despite those changes, one NHL analyst believes the Maple Leafs are entering the 2026-27 season with more questions than answers.
Concerns Growing Around the Maple Leafs
Toronto made several significant additions during the offseason. The organization strengthened its goaltending by signing Sergei Bobrovsky, selected Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the NHL draft, and added several veteran pieces to improve the team’s depth.
Colton Sissons and Jack Roslovic were brought in on two-year contracts, while Brandon Duhaime and Zack MacEwen added size and physicality to the bottom six. On the blue line, Darren Raddysh arrived from the Tampa Bay Lightning, while Emil Andrae and Samuel Ersson were acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers.
On paper, the changes gave the team a fresh look. However, NHL analyst Harman Dayal believes there are still reasons for concern.”The issue is that even if they make the playoffs, the path to a deep run feels quite unlikely in a stacked Atlantic Division. The Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers, and Buffalo Sabres are all stronger teams than the Leafs on paper,” Dayal said.
He also highlighted concerns about the age of Toronto’s core group. Bobrovsky will turn 38 before the season begins, John Tavares is approaching his 36th birthday, and several of the team’s top defensemen are already in their 30s. Even the club’s cornerstone players, Auston Matthews and William Nylander, are approaching the later stages of their prime years.
Dayal also noted that Toronto’s prospect pool remains relatively thin beyond McKenna, and the organization lacks the benefit of owning its next two first-round draft picks.
“There’s a path for the Leafs to be decent short-term, but a Stanley Cup run over the next few years feels like a long shot, especially since their best players have underwhelming playoff track records,” Dayal added.
That assessment may be difficult for fans to hear, especially after such a dramatic offseason overhaul.
There is no question that Chayka and Sundin have changed the direction of the organization. The addition of McKenna gives Toronto a potential franchise cornerstone for the future, while several experienced veterans should help stabilize the roster in the short term.
Still, the path to a Stanley Cup remains uncertain. Unless the team’s veteran core exceeds expectations, the Maple Leafs may once again fall short of the lofty standards that have defined the franchise for decades.
