Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Sissons, Cowan, Stolarz & the Depth Prevails

There are plenty of reasons to be encouraged by the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ start to the season, but maybe the most interesting is that they are starting to look like a team rather than a collection of very good hockey players.

The stars are still there. They have to be. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, newcomer Kirill Marchenko, and the rest of Toronto’s big names will have to produce. But in the 2-1 win over the New York Islanders, the supporting cast really showed up and caught fans’ attention. Colton Sissons, Easton Cowan and Anthony Stolarz all played important roles. That’s exactly what a good team needs.

The Supporting Cast on the Maple Leafs Is Starting to Matter

One of the biggest questions coming into this season was whether John Chayka’s roster changes would actually make the Maple Leafs feel different. It’s early, obviously, but there are already some signs that they might.

Sissons is playing a different kind of hockey for Toronto. Jack Roslovic has a new role. Nick Paul brings size and experience. Stolarz looks comfortable in the crease, while Sergei Bobrovsky gives the Maple Leafs another experienced goaltender. And, perhaps just as importantly, he brings a professional presence to the room. The embrace between Bobrovsky and Stolarz after the game said quite a bit. Their relationship is a bonus that could further the team’s positive culture.

Something also feels different about how these players fit together. Last season there were nights when the team seemed to be waiting for one of their stars to make something happen. Against the Islanders, the bottom six helped win the hockey game. Stolarz did his part. The defence blocked shots. The stars created chances. Everybody had a job. The one noticeable difference was that the Maple Leafs spent far more time in the opposition’s end of the ice.

That’s what Chayka and his staff were trying to build. Two games in, early signs show it’s taking shape.

Easton Cowan Is Becoming More Than a Prospect

And then there is Easton Cowan. Gavin McKenna will understandably get plenty of attention this season. That’s what happens when you bring in a player with that kind of reputation. But Cowan is becoming one of the more interesting young players on this Maple Leafs team. Jim Hiller is trusting him with more responsibility, and Cowan is responding.

The difference from last season is noticeable. Cowan went through a difficult rookie season under then-head coach Craig Berube, then went to the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies and helped them win a championship. That matters. Winning teaches things that practice can’t. It gives a young player confidence and a better understanding of what it takes to contribute.

Now Jim Hiller is giving Cowan responsibility. Power play. Penalty kill. Five-on-five. He’s not simply being protected on a third line and asked to learn from the bench.

Cowan is responding to that increased responsibility by making plays. His goal against the Islanders wasn’t just about getting his stick on the puck. He’s reading the ice, anticipating plays and finding places to hurt the opposition. That’s how a young player becomes part of a team’s identity.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The Maple Leafs still need their stars to be stars. Nothing has changed there. But early indications suggest those stars now have more pieces around them. That’s important because nobody wins a championship with six forwards doing all the work.

The more interesting question might be whether Toronto has finally built enough depth that Matthews and Nylander don’t have to carry the entire story every night. And perhaps that’s the biggest difference so far.

The Maple Leafs look less like a team waiting for its stars to save it and more like a team where everybody understands the assignment and can pull it off.