Tonight marks the start of a new chapter for the Toronto Maple Leafs — one without Mitch Marner. When the puck drops against the visiting Montreal Canadiens, fans will be watching more than just the first game of the season; they’ll be watching how this team responds to change. Marner’s offseason sign-and-trade to Vegas closed a major chapter in Toronto’s modern era. He’d been a fixture since 2016 and produced 102 points last season, but in the end, both sides needed to move on.
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Auston Matthews, now firmly the team’s cornerstone, was pragmatic when asked about it: “You can’t really dwell on the past. We wish him the best.” Morgan Rielly, the longest-tenured Maple Leaf, spoke for the group: “We have a lot of belief in our team and our core. We’re motivated — especially after how last season ended.”
Those words ring familiar to Toronto fans, but there’s a different tone around this group. With second-year head coach Craig Berube behind the bench, the Maple Leafs are aiming to play with more grit, structure, and urgency — lessons Berube’s championship résumé demands.
Item One: Opening Night Against the Canadiens
Toronto’s lineup looks a little different this season. Offseason additions Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Nicolas Roy bring a balance of youth and edge. Maccelli will start on the top line alongside Matthews and Matthew Knies, while Joshua and Roy add toughness and secondary scoring depth. In goal, Joseph Woll’s personal absence has opened the door for Cayden Primeau — a former Canadiens prospect — to back up Anthony Stolarz. Even newcomer Sammy Blais, who played under Berube in St. Louis, arrives knowing exactly what kind of accountability his coach expects.
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It’s a fitting opener — two Original Six rivals, each trying to prove something. The Canadiens, led by captain Nick Suzuki and Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, are trending upward. The Maple Leafs, after years of heartbreak, are trying to redefine themselves. The rivalry is old, but the faces and stakes are fresh. Tonight, the first page of the post-Marner Maple Leafs era gets written.
Item Two: Maple Leafs Face Early Roster Challenges
Toronto begins the 2025–26 season already dealing with key absences. Goalie Woll is on injured reserve while tending to a personal family matter. Though his absence isn’t hockey-related, it leaves the team thin in net — and forces Primeau into an immediate backup role.
(James Guillory-Imagn Images)
On the blue line, defenceman Marshall Rifai was placed on long-term injured reserve after wrist surgery during the preseason. He’ll be sidelined for a while and likely head to the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies when healthy. Up front, veteran forward Scott Laughton starts the season on injured reserve with a lower-body issue. Acquired late last season from the Philadelphia Flyers, Laughton’s steady two-way game will be missed in the early going.
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Between Woll, Rifai, and Laughton, Toronto’s depth will be tested. Berube’s staff will lean on veterans and new acquisitions to fill gaps, which could create early opportunities for players trying to earn full-time NHL roles. It’s not the smooth start any team wants, but it’s one that will reveal who’s ready to step up.
Item Three: Cayden Primeau’s Homecoming in Blue and White
For Primeau, joining the Maple Leafs is more than a transaction — it’s a homecoming. Claimed off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes, the 25-year-old goaltender was drafted and developed by the Canadiens. Now, he’s back in Toronto, where his family name carries history.
Primeau noted that his phone lit up with messages when the news broke, as many of his friends and family are based in Toronto. His connections run deep: son of longtime NHLer Keith Primeau, nephew of former Maple Leaf Wayne Primeau, and cousin of Marlies defenceman Blake Smith. It’s a neat bit of hockey symmetry — another Primeau in blue and white, decades later.
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Primeau’s arrival presents him with a huge opportunity. With Woll away, he has a chance to re-establish himself as a capable NHL netminder. The opportunity to play meaningful games in his hometown might be exactly what he needs to steady his career and give Toronto a dependable safety net in goal.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The Berube era enters its second season with both promise and pressure. Toronto’s core remains intact, but the margins — goaltending, depth, and defensive details — will define this team’s success. As they face Montreal to open the season, the Maple Leafs are stepping into something unfamiliar: a new identity.
The question isn’t whether they can score or sell hope — it’s whether they can finally script a different ending.
