This season hasn’t offered the Toronto Maple Leafs much margin for error. So, when a few players start finding their game at the same time, it matters. The Maple Leafs don’t need miracles right now. What they need is traction. They need steady play to grab onto while the lineup shifts, injuries linger, and the standings stay tight.
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Over the last stretch, four players have started to stack solid games together. This is not headline-grabbing, but solid contributions in terms of goals and assists. These four players’ ice time is beginning to trend in the right way. While their streaks don’t fix everything, they do help keep the team afloat in the standings.
Here’s a closer look at four Maple Leafs who are starting to string things together.
Player One: Matthew Knies Is Playing Like the Game Is Slowing Down
Matthew Knies doesn’t look rushed right now. That’s the big thing. He’s scored four goals in three games and six points over four games. But how he’s doing it is beginning to stand out. He’s getting to the hard areas, finishing chances when they show up, and staying involved even when the puck isn’t following him around.
There’s also a physical edge creeping back into his game. Seven penalty minutes over this stretch, including a rare five-minute fighting major, tells you he’s engaged physically as well. That kind of engagement matters for a young player like Knies. When he’s skating, hitting, and creating contact, the rest of his game tends to follow.
The production is nice. The confidence behind it feels more important.
Player Two: Nicholas Robertson Is Making the Most of the Open Door
Injuries create opportunity, and Nicholas Robertson is doing what players always say they’ll do when the chance comes: he’s using it. With Auston Matthews and William Nylander out, Robertson’s ice time has climbed, and so has his confidence. He’s pushing the play in ways that only a few other young players can do.
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Five points over three games doesn’t happen by accident. He’s shooting more, staying involved, and not shying away from offensive situations. The minutes are still modest, but the trend is clear — 10 minutes became 12, then 14. What’s so interesting is that he’s had a chance to quarterback the team’s power play, and it’s working. That isn’t easy.
There’s a bittersweet layer here, too. Every good shift helps the team now, but it also raises questions about Robertson’s long-term fit. Still, for the moment, he’s helping. And the Maple Leafs need that. I wonder if the Maple Leafs might regret signing him to a one-year contract.
Player Three: Bobby McMann Keeps Putting Pucks in the Net
Bobby McMann’s game is simple, and right now that’s working. He’s put up six points in six games, 20 shots, and a power-play goal that mattered. He’s not waiting for perfect looks. He’s confident enough to fire the puck almost every chance he gets. Then he crashes the crease and lets the play develop around him.
Quietly, he’s already put up 13 goals. The idea that he might make a push toward 30 doesn’t feel outlandish anymore. That’s not something many people saw coming, but McMann has earned every bit of it. He’s showing he can score at even strength and chip in when given power-play looks.
In a season where depth scoring has come and gone, McMann has quietly stayed.
Player Four: Nicolas Roy Is Doing the Small Things That Count
Nicolas Roy isn’t suddenly an offensive driver, but he’s a bit warmer than he was a few weeks ago. Four points in six games, some physical play, and a goal that came right as a power play expired — that’s timing and awareness. He’s growing on Maple Leafs fans.
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With Matthews out, the Maple Leafs need guys who can fill minutes without hurting the team. Roy has done that lately. He’s reliable, engaged, and not trying to be something he’s not. He might not be setting the hockey world on fire, but he’s about as honest a hockey player as one can find. And that’s winning fans over in Toronto.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
Getting depth scoring is how teams survive rough stretches. The Maple Leafs do have some elite players, but even without the stars doing everything, if the team have depth players producing at the same time, that can help carry them. Knies looks more comfortable. Robertson is seizing a chance. McMann keeps scoring. Roy is steadying things underneath it all.
None of this guarantees anything. But it gives the Maple Leafs options. And for a team that’s spent much of the season searching for this kind of depth contribution, these four players are more than a start.
Could this be enough to keep the season moving in the right direction?
