The Toronto Maple Leafs are now entering Week 15 of the NHL season, and although their 10-game point streak is over, they are still playing some of the best hockey they have all year. It genuinely feels like adversity has fuelled this group, and they are working hard to prove the doubters wrong. The only unfortunate part is that the rest of the Atlantic Division is also playing some of its best hockey of the season, which means the Maple Leafs have not really gained much ground. They currently sit one point behind the Buffalo Sabres for the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and two points behind the Boston Bruins.
Related: What the Maple Leafs’ Stats Reveal About Their Identity
They are five points back of the Montreal Canadiens for third place and nine points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings, who are tied for first. The good news is that over their last 10 games, the Maple Leafs are 7-1-2. They come into tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild looking to extend their winning streak to two games after a comeback overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday during Hockey Day in Canada.
Looking ahead to the upcoming week, the Maple Leafs play three games and have a rare Saturday night off. This shapes up to be an important stretch, starting with the Wild, followed by an Atlantic Division matchup against the Red Wings, and then on Friday night, the return of Mitch Marner to Toronto for the first time.
Keeping Pace in the East
As mentioned above, the Maple Leafs have done a good job keeping pace in the Eastern Conference over the last few weeks. In their last 10 games, they are 7-1-2, which amounts to 16 of a possible 20 points. Unfortunately, much of the East has been just as strong during that stretch. The Lightning are 9-0-1, the Red Wings are 7-2-1, the Canadiens are 6-3-1, the Bruins are 8-1-1, and the Sabres are 7-2-1.
So while Toronto has been playing extremely well, the ground they have made up has not been as significant as it might have been if the teams ahead of them were not also rolling. Still, logic would suggest that if the Maple Leafs continue playing at this level between now and the 2026 Winter Olympic break on Feb. 6, they should be able to put themselves in a playoff spot. Ideally, they would also create some distance between themselves and the teams below them, while slowly closing the gap on the teams ahead. They have nine games remaining before the Olympics, and if they keep pace during that stretch, they should be in a good position.
Injuries Piling Up
Unfortunately, injuries have been a constant issue for this team all season. They just cannot seem to escape it, and it hurt them significantly early on. Now, it almost feels like it has become part of what is driving them. The latest injury is to William Nylander, who re-injured himself while celebrating a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights last Thursday. There are now questions not only about how long he will be out, but also about whether he could miss the Olympics. At this point, the team has only said that Nylander will miss time, without offering a clear timeline. That lack of clarity has led to some questioning whether he should even participate in the Olympics if he is not fully healthy.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumours: OEL, Hildeby, Valis & McMann
The other notable situation is Matthew Knies, who has been playing but is clearly dealing with something. He has taken multiple maintenance days, including missing practice today, and is listed as a game-time decision. There is a real possibility that he could also miss time if whatever is bothering him does not improve. Losing Knies would be another blow to the lineup, but one the team may be forced to work through. On top of Knies and Nylander, the Maple Leafs are still without Dakota Joshua, Chris Tanev, and Anthony Stolarz, while Simon Benoit is listed as day-to-day.
Marner’s Homecoming
Finally, in this edition of the Maple Leafs week ahead, there is the game that almost everyone in Leafs Nation has circled on their calendar. Marner’s homecoming. This will not be his first game against his former team, as Vegas already beat Toronto last Thursday. However, it will be the first time he steps back onto the ice at Scotiabank Arena since being traded to the Golden Knights this past offseason. There has been some criticism directed at the NHL for how this situation was scheduled. Both games against Toronto were placed on the second half of a back-to-back for Vegas, which left very little opportunity for media availability with Marner.
Whether the Golden Knights would have made him available is another question entirely, but it would have been nice to see him speak with reporters before his first game back in Toronto, rather than potentially after. This is one of the biggest storylines of the season. The Maple Leafs’ former whipping boy is returning home with his new team after spending nearly a decade in Toronto and creating countless memories. As much as hockey fans might roll their eyes at it, Toronto is still the centre of the hockey universe, and this moment deserved better scheduling. Regardless, Marner is coming back to where it all began, and he will receive a video tribute that is likely to be emotional for a lot of people in the building.
Related: 2 Takeaways From the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 OT Win Over the Jets
At this point, there are really only two things to hope for. First, that he is made available to the media after the game. Second, that he does not get booed during his tribute. No matter how things ended, Leafs Nation should appreciate what Marner meant to this organization. He played a massive role in the team’s success over the past 10 seasons. Regardless of how his time in Toronto ended, he deserves to be cheered and properly honoured. He lived out the dream of just about every kid who grew up in Ontario cheering for the Maple Leafs. There is no denying that it came with an enormous amount of pressure, but that does not take away from what he accomplished.
Maple Leafs Schedule Jan. 12 – 17
| Date | Time (EST) | Opponent | Venue | Notes |
| Mon, Jan 19 | 7:30 PM | vs. Minnesota Wild | Scotiabank Arena | Amazon Prime Monday Night Hockey |
| Wed, Jan 21 | 7:00 PM | vs. Detroit Red Wings | Scotiabank Arena | Huge Atlantic Division Game |
| Thu, Jan 23 | 7:00 PM | @ Vegas Golden Knights | Scotiabank Arena | Marner’s Homecoming |
