Some seasons turn on a big trade or a dramatic shakeup. This will not be one of those seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs. What’s happening with the Maple Leafs right now feels quieter, but no less critical. The team might be rebuilding itself from within. Not with splashy headlines, but with players growing into roles, unexpected lines taking shape, and the kind of small internal shifts that don’t show up on a transactions page.
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If Toronto finds its footing as the season unfolds (and that could be a big if), we might look back and say the groundwork was being laid before any outside help arrived.
Against the Penguins, the Third Line Played With Purpose
The most encouraging sign in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7-2 victory was the sudden emergence of the Nicolas Roy–Dakota Joshua–Bobby McMann line. For two months, Joshua and Roy looked stuck in neutral; then, almost overnight, they played like entirely different players. They scored, drove play, were physical, and brought the kind of straight-line speed that hasn’t been part of their identities until now.
When a team gets five points and a collective plus-6 out of a third line, that’s not a bonus. That’s a template. If this line continues to work, for the first time in years, the Maple Leafs might have a big, heavy, defensively honest line that can tilt games. If they keep this up, Toronto gains the one thing it’s lacked most: a matchup line the coach can trust.
Craig Berube’s Quiet Ice-Time Recalibration
Craig Berube’s fingerprints were all over the win in Pittsburgh, not through speeches but through deployment. Auston Matthews was sixth among Maple Leafs forwards in five-on-five ice time. He barely touched the penalty kill. He was heavily used on the power play and given nearly 60% of the offensive-zone starts.
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That might not sound dramatic, but it is. Matthews has been asked to take on more and more responsibility in the past few seasons, often at the expense of his best weapon — his shot. In Pittsburgh, he looked like the version of himself who scored 60 and 69 goals. If Berube leans into this usage pattern, and the third line keeps taking the hard minutes, Matthews may finally get a clean runway to attack weaker matchups. The two things need to work in tandem. The question is: Can they?
Matthew Knies’ Growth Into a Two-Way Creator
It feels too early to call Matthew Knies a “Mitch Marner replacement,” but he’s certainly filling in the gap. His two assists in Pittsburgh pushed him to 20 on the season, matching Marner’s total in fewer games. Looking at the NHL stats sheet this morning, we see that Marner and Knies are right next to each other on the sheet. Knies has six goals and 20 assists in 22 games, and Marner has five goals and 20 assists in 25 games.
(Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)
We always knew Knies had the power-forward frame and the touch around the net; what’s emerging now is his ability to make plays. He sees the ice better. He gets pucks back. And he’s becoming a driver on a line with one of the best finishers in the world. Whatever Toronto hoped Knies would become, he’s ahead of schedule.
Easton Cowan as the Next Internal Step Forward
If Knies is covering Marner’s production, the natural question is: Who covers for Knies? The early answer might be Easton Cowan. His November stretch — four points in five games — was the first hint of what he might grow into. With three goals and five assists for eight points through 17 games, he’s on pace to land somewhere between a 38-point rookie season and something much more ambitious.
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Cowan is still only 20, still learning, still adjusting to pro pace, but he’s finding seams, creating turnovers, and showing he belongs. For a team that hasn’t had many rookies exceed expectations, Cowan is becoming an intriguing exception.
The Maple Leafs’ Slow Climb Out of Their Funk
Back when the Maple Leafs dropped five straight and couldn’t score more than two in regulation, it felt like the season was sliding toward something ugly. But since then, they’ve quietly banked seven points in six games. They haven’t been great. In fact, the record flatters the performances. Yet, there have been flashes in every outing.
Joseph Woll stole a game. Matthews rediscovered his release. The depth chipped in. It looks like a team inching its way out of trouble rather than snapping out of it.
If the second line keeps driving play and the new third line keeps its identity, Toronto suddenly has a foundation. That frees Matthews and Knies to operate as a scoring line, and it creates clarity on the fourth line with players like Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz. It also opens the door for Nicholas Robertson, who has quietly become the most assertive of the remaining forwards.
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Robertson’s speed, surprising physicality, and improving defensive reads give him a real case to join the top line. That leaves Max Domi, Calle Järnkrok, and Matias Maccelli to fight for the final spot. This is the kind of internal competition this team has not had in years.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
