We are slowly pushing through the dog days of summer, and as we inch closer to the start of the 2025-26 training camp and preseason on Sept. 20, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most of them revolve around the departure of Mitch Marner and how well the team will perform without him. Now that we have already covered their top storylines, it is time to look at three way-too-early Maple Leafs predictions for the 2025-26 season.
Maple Leafs Will Win the Atlantic Division Again
First up, I am predicting that the Maple Leafs will win the Atlantic Division for the second time in a row. Last year they managed to do it without Auston Matthews being healthy for most of the season. That led to Marner carrying the team into the battle. This season, Matthews should be healthy, which will allow him to return to form. There will also be more responsibility and playing time for William Nylander, which could help him reach the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. On top of that, they brought back the same defense core that was dominant last season as well as the same goalie tandem of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, which was the best in the NHL.
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Of course, anything can happen, but aside from the Florida Panthers the Maple Leafs look like the next biggest threat in the Atlantic Division. If head coach Craig Berube can guide this team the way he did last season, they have a real shot at finishing back on top of the Atlantic Division.
Matthew Knies Will Hit 40 Goals, 40 Assists, and 200 Hits
This is hands down the easiest prediction to make on this list. After the season Matthew Knies just had, he should expect an increase in production. With the departure of Marner and more ice time available, Knies has a real chance to hit 40 goals, 40 assists, and 200 hits. Last season, in 78 games, he had 29 goals and 29 assists for 58 points, along with 182 hits. By the end of the season, you could see how much Berube trusted him and leaned on him. Without Marner, he will be one of Berube’s go-to players, which should give him more chances to score and throw his weight around.
Last season, he averaged 18:31 of ice time. This season, he could be closer to 20:30 or even 21 minutes. That extra time could include more power play minutes on the top unit, which tends to generate plenty of points. It should not be overly difficult for him to reach 40 goals, 40 assists, and 200 hits in 2025-26.
Matthews Will Return to Form and Score 60 Goals
The last prediction is that the aforementioned Matthews will return to his elite scoring form and hit 60 goals again for the third time in his nine-year career. As mentioned earlier, he dealt with injuries all last season and finished with 33 goals in 67 games. If he is back to full health, there is a very good chance he will be motivated to prove that he can still be one of the best players in the league without Marner. As soon as Marner left this summer, there was plenty of talk that Matthews would not be the same without him. I disagree. Matthews thrives when people doubt him, and that will fuel him to have one of the best seasons of his career.
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Matthews has already shown he can bounce back after a challenging season. In 2022-23, he scored 40 goals in 74 games. The next season, in 2023-24, he responded with a career-high 69 goals. A similar thing happened in 2020-21, when he scored 41 goals before hitting 60 the next season. If he continues that pattern, he should be a strong bet to score at least 60 goals in 2025-26.
Maple Leafs hockey is almost back, which has fans buzzing with anticipation. If any of these predictions come true, it will make for some very exciting hockey. We are now just a month away from the start of the 2025-26 preseason, so buckle up, because things in Toronto and across the NHL are about to heat up in a big way.
